The Killers September 30, Sam's Town Live
It couldn’t have happened anywhere else. It couldn’t have happened with any other band. No, this was something quintessentially Las Vegas. And it had to be done by Sin City’s most beloved rockers and biggest music export, The Killers.
Sam’s Town Live, the venue that often holds viewing parties for pay-per-view professional wrestling events, was transformed as if to stage a Killers prom—scratch that, a Killers homecoming. The shiny curtains, the classic Vegas color scheme—it was like when Marty McFly went in back in time and ripped through “Johnny B. Goode” before almost hooking up with his mom. The locals casino had a youthful, palpable energy.
While Brandon Flowers and company weren't literally traveling back in time, they were celebrating something of a timepiece. The Killers' Sam’s Town Decennial Extravaganza commemorated the 10th anniversary of the release of their second album, Sam’s Town, their ode to the places, people and themes with which they grew up. And while it may have seemed like a gimmick, The Killers pulled it off smoothly (and quietly donated all the proceeds to local charities Toni’s House and First Friday Foundation).
Sam’s Town was played in full and thrillingly. It’s a piece whose sum is greater than its individual parts, however shiny they might be. Remember, this was a polarizing album when it came out in 2006. Too much bombast. Too little substance. Flowers' claims that this was his Springsteen album, one that “keeps rock & roll afloat." Whatever negativity there might have been back then has long been stripped away as The Killers have since proven they are worthy of being one of rock’s biggest acts.
“When You Were Young” is every bit the hit now it was then. “Uncle Jonny” digs deep into the darkness. And hearing chestnuts getting their first live reprisals in years was a real treat: “My List” (played for the first time since 2009), “Why Do I Keep Counting” (last played in 2007). Even the title track hasn’t been heard since 2013.
After the album performance, it was a celebration of the band's hits, the audience singing every word to every tune. “Human” found everyone turning into dancers. “Runaways” might belong in the 1980s, but man, is it a perfect homage to that decade. First encore closer “All These Things That I Have Done” is forever an anthem.
Perhaps no song summed up the night, the weekend or the band better than “Bling (Confession of a King)." Flowers, Stoermer, Keuning, Vannucci. The crowd. Las Vegas. This is you.
Higher and higher,
We’re gonna take it,
Down to the wire,
We’re gonna make it,
Out of the fire,
Higher and higher
