Kings Of Leon Announce Opening Bands For Summer

Nashville-based Kings Of Leon have announced the opening lineup for their summer trek through the US. While Built To Spill and The Stills are nice for Chicago on July 24th, it is hard not to look a little further down the list and be mouth-foamingly jealous of the cities that get The Black Keys and The Whigs as opening acts.

w/ The Whigs
6/5 Atlantic City, NJ Borgata Event Center

6/6 Saratoga, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center
6/8 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion

w/ Built To Spill and The Features
7/9 San Diego, CA Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
7/10 Phoenix, AZ Cricket Wireless Pavilion
7/12 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
7/14 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7/17 George, WA (Seattle) The Gorge
7/19 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre
7/20 Denver, CO Comfort Dental Amphitheatre

w/ The Stills
7/23 St. Louis, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

w/ Built To Spill and The Stills
7/24 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
7/26 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center

7/28 Toronto, ON Molson Canadian Amphitheatre - only The Stills

7/30 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
7/31 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
8/3 Hartford, CT Comcast Theatre
8/5 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
8/7 Bristow, VA (DC) Jiffy Lube Live

w/ The Black Keys and The Whigs

9/3 Indianapolis, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center
9/4 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
9/7 Pittsburgh, PA First Niagara Pavilion
9/8 Hershey,PA Hershey Park - Pavilion
9/10 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
9/11 Virginia Beach, VA Virginia Beach Amphitheater
9/13 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Amphitheater at Walnut Creek
9/17 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre
9/18 Tampa, FL Ford Amphitheatre
9/20 Birmingham, AL Verizon Wireless Music Center
9/22 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
9/23 Dallas, TX Superpages.com Center

Podcast 10 - Bless This Mess

This week, the guys gush over the recent sets from Manchester Orchestra and The Features at Metro, and give recommend a ton of upcoming shows to hit - including Passion Pit, David Bazan, Kerretta, Bad Veins, and As Tall As Lions.

Manchester Orchestra and The Features - March 23, 2010

It takes one hell of a confident, or just brave, band to have the likes of The Features open for you. The Tennessee quartet has the kind of raucous, fiery sound that fits in perfectly with Manchester Orchestra's passionate brand of anthemic rock. The band opened the set just like their brilliant sophomore album, with the brief organ-grinder oddity "Whatever Gets You By" before erupting into the chugging, energetic riffs of "The Drawing Board". The hard-charging rocker exploded off the stage with sandpapered soulful vocals and cymbals crashing all around. The emotional, belted-out hook of "The Temporary Blues" played well against the subdued verses for the chest-pumping anthem. Party-starter, "Lions" proved the biggest shout-a-long of the set, as you could see more and more of the typically motionless Chicago crowd begin to move along to the beat.

The more defined southern feel of, new song, "Big Mamma" fit in great with the rest of the set, leaving you longing for the upcoming third album. Metro is the mid-sized venue in the city with a boatload of history behind it, but the band held their own on the stage. Their experience opening for Kings Of Leon in Europe has prepared them well for the larger stages they deserve. With hints of feel-good punk, swaggering blues, and even a bit of rockabilly, The Features all but made concert-goers forget they were really there for Manchester Orchestra. The fierce foursome were only on-stage for half-an-hour, leaving you with the thought, 'holy sh*t, when are they coming back?' Encores are a no-no for opening bands, but it would have been hard to blame The Features had they played one. They earned it.


Atlanta's Manchester Orchestra took the stage just fifteen short minutes later, quickly ratcheting up the intensity with the menacing metal-laced "Pride". It took no time for front man Andy Hull to put his searing tenor to good use firing up the crowd. The quietly shimmering backing "100 Dollars" served as a nice contrast to the gritted-teeth vocals, leading into the eruption of "In My Teeth" and frenzied, faster-paced take on "Shake It Out"; sending much of the crowd into fist-pumping delirium. The shaggy take on "Everything To Nothing" proved a nice change of pace mid-set, as the band tore into their version of a power ballad. Hull announced the impending summer release of their third album before unleashing the grubby southern stomp and wild laughing hook of "I Don't Know Anymore", said to be on the new album.

Stormy rocker "I Can Barely Breathe" showcased Hull's raw intensity, which drives the songs every bit as much as the thrusting music. Unfortunately, the haunting, extended jam take on "Where Have You Been?" marked one of only two songs played off their debut. The the early curfew shackled to Metro prevented more than an hour and fifteen minute set, though concert-goers would have gladly stayed for twice that time to hear more. It left fan-favorites like "Wolves At Night" and "The Neighborhood Is Bleeding" with no room on a setlist chock-full of heavier rockers from the latest album. With no time left for an encore, the stripped-down, pensive "I Can Feel A Hot One" served as an anti-climatic closer. Still, it is hard to argue that the sold-out crowd did not get their money's worth out of the smoldering set.

Pride
100 Dollars
In My Teeth
Shake It Out
Everything To Nothing
I Don't Know Anymore*
I Can Barely Breathe
My Friend Marcus
The River
Where Have You Been?
I've Got Friends
I Can Feel A Hot One

Upcoming Shows - Week ending March 28th

This week plays out as a nicely stretched out list of awesome, beginning with a FREE show tonight at Empty Bottle with, up-and-coming indie pop stars, Pet Lions!


Monday, March 22nd – Empty Bottle – 9:30pm - FREE
Headliner: Pet Lions
Openers: This Is Versailles, Radar Eyes

Pet Lions + Empty Bottle + free show = Awesomeness! We have been harping on how great Pet Lions are for a while now. Between their recent trip to SXSW should expand and the eventual release of their debut, seeing these guys in smaller venues will be a thing of the past before you know it.


Tuesday, March 23rd – Metro – 6:30pm - $15
Headliner: Manchester Orchestra
Openers: The Features, Biffy Clyro, O'Brother

This is one of those rare shows where we would be just as happy if the main opener and headliner were reversed. Atlanta based rockers, Manchester Orchestra's sophomore album, Mean Everything To Nothing, was a definite high point in 2009 releases; more blowing the doors off their sound than just expanding it. We completely understand getting excited to hear it live (we sure are), but make sure not to miss The Features. The Tennessee band has been around for years, but last year signed to Kings Of Leon's imprint label to release their second LP, Some Kind Of Salvation. Their raw, passionate sound is definitely worth getting to the show early!


Thursday, March 25th – Schubas – 9pm - $8
Headliner: Roman Candle
Openers: Locksley, Rachele Eve

North Carolina roots-rockers, Roman Candle make a Chicago appearance at Schubas Thursday night. If the term 'alt-country' makes your ears perk up, this is the show for you this week. Skip Matheny's earnest, soulful vocals fit the story-telling songwriting wonderfully, and the band's sturdy rock backing, with a healthy dose of southern accents, sound fantastic.


Thursday, March 25th – Metro – 8pm - $22.50
Headliner: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Openers: Band Of Skulls, J Roddy Watson And The Business

If you are more in the mood for gritty blues Thursday night, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club will scratch that itch with a hard-charging, bluesy sound that recalls classic rock greats like The Rolling Stones. Their latest, Beat The Devil's Tattoo, is a sweaty, distortion-tinged effort that should translate beautifully to the Metro stage.


Friday, March 26th – The Aragon – 8pm - $32.75
Headliner: Tegan And Sara
Openers: Steel Train, Holly Miranda

Though the Quin sisters have steadily changed their sound from one album to the next since they burst onto the scene with the brilliantly poppy So Jealous in 2004. Whether that candied gem, or the hauntingly itchy, Chris Walla-produced The Con, or their most recent foray into more straightforward rock Sainthood, Tegan And Sara have proved to be among the most talented, interesting artists around.


Saturday, March 27th – The Riv – 7:30 - $58.50
Headliner: Stone Temple Pilots

With a new album just announced, and a new single ("Between The Lines") hitting the web today, Stone Temple Pilots appear primed to reclaim their rightful place as one of the world's greatest rock bands. The album hits May 25th, but you can get an early listen Saturday at The Riv. They played four tracks at SXSW last week, and early buzz behind the album is strong.

Podcast 9 Up!

This week, we talk about Lilith and Lollapalooza festivals, and discuss the latest amazing show from Company Of Thieves. We also give our rundown of the next month's worth of shows to hit.

You can get to the podcast either by subscribing on iTunes or using our feed. Enjoy!

The Whigs To Release In The Dark March 2nd

Athens, GA's finest band since R.E.M. announced a release date for their follow-up to 2008's Mission Control.  ATO Records will release the album on March 2nd.  Those who cannot wait a few months to get their ears on the new material can either head to http://www.thewhigs.com/ to grab free downloads of "In The Dark" and "Hundred/Million" from the band directly, or just head out to one of their December dates below:

December 4 - The Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, Georgia


December 5 - Rhythm & Brews - Chattanooga, Tennessee

December 8 - Visulite - Charlotte, North Carolina

December 10 - Black Cat - Washington, DC, Washington DC

December 11 - The Fillmore @ Irving Plaza - New York, New York

December 12 - North Star - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

December 14 - Local 506 - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

December 15 - Pour House - Charleston, South Carolina
 
With The Features (the first band signed to Kings Of Leon's new imprint label) lending support for these shows, seems like a safe bet!  One listen to their ode to the working man, "The Temporary Blues", and you will know why we are so upset they are not hitting Chicago.