With a surprisingly small crowd gathered for the ample amount of energy the Metz brought to the stage this week at the Twilight Concert Series. I’ve never been partial to screamo in hardcore punk, so I must admit that my anticipation for the Metz was teetering near apathetic. However, once their set opened I found my foot involuntarily pulsing to the beat of the music. While impartial to screamo, I was surprisingly engrossed in the pounding and dynamic instrumental portions of their set. It appeared that many in the small crowd were also consumed by the band’s intensity, which was confirmed by their aggressive head banging and arms flailing above the crowd. I have to admit I was a bit curious as to why this post-punk, post-hardcore, noise rock band had been chosen to open for more indie rock group, The Kills. But the relationship between the two became more clear as the head banging continued for the main act.
I’ve been a fan of The Kills for several years, so I had certain expectations for their performance this Thursday. My anticipation grew as I sat, waiting between bands. During this downtime, I glimpsed gaggles of what seemed to be high school students arriving—whose style seemed to range from bad boy John Bender to introvert Wednesday Addams to Miley Cyrus circa 2007. I was curious and surprised at the diversity of the crowd who had begun to filter in to see The Kills perform.
Finally, The Kills arrived on stage. As they entered, energy from the growing crown erupted, and I was not the only one whose legs began to involuntarily run to the press pit. The crowd surged forward, excitement erupted. From the beginning of their performance all of my expectations were vastly exceeded. Both Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince were incredible performers and had great chemistry. During Kissy Kissy,Hince cradled his guitar as Mosshart flung her head and captured the crowd’s attention. But as during every concert, there is one performer that stands out more than all the others. For me, this was Mosshart. The energy she brought to the stage transformed the music into something else entirely. Her body pulsated, shrugged, and contorted to the throb of the music. The performance captivated me so much in fact, that I feel reluctant to listen to their recorded albums too soon. It is rare when a band is better live than recorded, and The Kills certainly were. I was indeed so immersed in the performance that I hardly had the consciousness to take more than a few spare notes in the physical notebook I brought—for the sake of taking notes. I was not alone in this state of hynosis. As I peered at the front of the crowd, I didn’t see one person with their phone out. Rather, fans were leaning over the fence, screaming, reeling, and banging their heads; mesmerized by The Kills.
– Lauren Stratton (Salt Editor)
– Jane Groom (Photographer)
