Kaiser Chiefs and Streets of Laredo Play Webster Hall

Streets of Laredo joined Kaiser Chiefs at Webster Hall this Friday. Dave, Dan & Sarah Gibson joined four of their music collaborators from both New Zealand and their new home of Brooklyn to form a quasi traveling family band. The band recalls being in a rehearsal space off the Morgan stop in Bushwick in the fall of 2012, “(We were) just trying to figure out our sound, who we were, and how we were possibly gonna survive in this town. The only thing we knew was that we’d finally made it to New York and we sure as hell weren’t about to leave.” The band played a lighthearted but profound set. Heavily influenced by roots rock, Streets of Laredo perform folk, blues sing-along tunes. With seven members, Streets of Laredo use a male and female voice, acoustic and electric guitars, a banjo, standing drums, a trumpet, tambourine and other instruments into their music. They make you feel like you’re sitting in a house with a lot of character in the middle of nowhere at a jovial family hootenanny.

Indie rock band from Leeds, Kaiser Chiefs provided a less sentimental, but more nostalgic headlining performance. The band’s first album Employment gained critical and commercial success in 2005 and their following albums proved to be no different than their predecessors. Spawning from a time called the post-punk revival, Kaiser Chiefs are influenced by both post-punk and new wave. During a conversation at the show, I questioned why I had never gone to see The Libertines or Bloc Party. They opened with Factory Gates, a song from their new album and then dug into Everyday I Love you Less and Less and Everything Is Average Nowadays off their first and second albums. Even though front man Ricky Wilson has enough charm and wit to land a judging gig on The Voice UK, his stage presence does not overshadow this bandmates musical talent and obvious enthusiasm. Wilson pointed out during the show that their career spanning set lists are put together by their bass player, Simon Rix. Wilson consistently jokes about all the things the music industry makes him do – like plug their new album, Education, Education, Education & War.

Article and photos by Jenna Pinch