THE KILLS RIP IT UP AT THE WILTERN

A twelve-story, Art Deco building anchors the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue in Los Angeles.  Inside is The Wiltern; a theatre that honors the past with dramatic murals and a sunburst ceiling and welcomes characters that breathe life into its walls.  On Saturday night, the theatre hosted hundreds of fans that came out to support the transatlantic duo, The Kills.

For a decade and a half, The Kills have produced electric guitar-driven music that is both bold and avant-garde. They spend years crafting an album- three years between No Wow and Midnight Boom and five years between Blood Pressures and their most recent album, Ash & Ice. On stage, Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince are savages.  They jump off speakers, flip sweaty hair and rip on guitars; all while wearing a rocker aloofness.

The Kills

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The Kills opened with “Heart of a Dog.” Mosshart chanted, “I’m loyal, oh oh, I’m loyal” as she reached out to the outstretched hands of fans.  They transitioned to older tracks “U.R.A Fever” and “Kissy Kissy,” where Hince’s guitar prowess took center stage- you would never know he had several hand surgeries over the past few years. The set was a mix of old and new that was played with a natural, uninterrupted flow.

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Mosshart and Hince were always acutely aware of where the other one was on stage.  They went from standing on speakers on opposite ends of the stage to an intimate moment where Hince laid his head on Mosshart’s shoulder while she sang.  Shortly after the release, Mosshart sunk to her knees in a deep howl.  A four-song encore, with the closer “Sour Cherry” rounded out the night.

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Bottom line, even after 15 years, The Kills still kill.  They will continue their U.S. tour, stopping in New York City to play Terminal 5 on September 23rd, before heading to the U.K. at the end of September.

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Article: Alx Bear