In the three-year gap since their last record, “More Adventurous,” a lot has happened to the members of the L.A.-based band Rilo Kiley. Each member has pursued a side project, most notably (lead guitarist) Blake Sennett’s and (drummer) Jason Boesel’s work as The Elected and (lead singer) Jenny Lewis’ work with crooners the Watson Twins.
Naturally, in the minutes before the band took the stage in the darkness of Avalon last Friday, an air of unspeakable excitement existed. Would the level of energy and showmanship of tours past endure? Would the tense former-lovers dynamic between Lewis and Sennett still send sparks flying onstage?
Fortunately, the answer to these questions is an emphatic “yes!”
All the elements of a band on top of its game were alive; onstage chemistry, flawless live recreations of studio work, a set list peppered with new gems and old favorites and a packed house of adoring fans. For an hour and a half, Rilo Kiley embarked on a 19-song romp that left the audience wholly satisfied.
As for the two opening acts, not quite as much can be said.
The first band, Grand Ole Party, struggled to keep the already-crowded room’s attention. Singer/Drummer Kristen Gundred played with all the gusto and youthful exuberance of Meg White, but her shrill yelp and severe haircut came across as a cheap imitation of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Karen O. For the length of the performance, Gundred pounded away in an apparent attempt to keep alive the lifeless guitarist and bassist.
Second supporter Jonathan Rice quietly assumed his place onstage, dressed in a stained t-shirt and with long brown locks better suited for a member of Hanson. He mumbled, “Hey, my name is Jonathan Rice and I’m a singer-songwriter.” His set, though slightly long, was filled with country-inflected songs about weariness, distance and the proverbial “Road.” The songs were good but seemed disingenuous given that Rice’s age. It proves tough to subscribe to Rice’s haggard worldview when you see his baby-fat cheeks and big, youthful eyes set against his backing band, Death Valley, of truly road-hardened men.
The performance was adequate and well received, but ultimately his most interesting aspects are either on-screen or off-stage (Rice starred in Walk the Line as Roy Orbison and is currently the live-in boyfriend of Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis). The highlights were a cover of forgotten 1960’s garage act The Dovers’ “What Am I Going to Do?” and a brief duet with Lewis.
After a brief pause in between sets, the house lights dimmed and Rilo Kiley walked onstage, beginning the set with “It’s a Hit,” from 2004’s “More Adventurous”
The band trounced through the unsavory topics of “Blacklight” such as dead-eyed seduction, underage cybersex, steamy trysts and the ensuing complications. A concept album of sorts, each song on the new album depicts a seedier, more fleeting side of human desire; a side where the only romance is foreplay and anyone with enough money can have a little fun.
The irony here is that this record is the band’s most accessible. The new sound conjures images of “Rumors”-era Fleetwood Mac, if they sang about L.A.’s pornography industry.
The guys were visibly enjoying themselves onstage as they bounced through the set. They led the audience in a stripped-down sing-along of crowd favorite “With Arms Outstretched,” slowly removing each component until the only element remaining was the audience itself, clapping and singing the final verse. The applause at the song’s finale was not so much a “thank you” to the band, but more a celebratory conclusion.
The star of this whole performance, however, is the endlessly adorable lead singer Jenny Lewis. In keeping with “Blacklight’s” theme of decadent sleaze, she was decked out in a super-short dress, stockings and shorts that just barely qualified as such. Employing all her theatric skills learned during her time as a child actress (you may recall seeing her in Pleasantville and as Eva St. Claire in the film adaptation of Uncle Tom’s Cabin), Lewis prowled the stage with a stark confidence. She coolly strolled about, captivating the audience with pitch-perfect accuracy and wry charm.
Ostensibly to prove the band does not rely on the charms of a lovely chanteuse, Jenny left the stage after the finishing “Spectacular Views”, but everyone else remained for an extended jam that proved their musical chops. The music ebbed, flowed and culminated in a chaotic and ultimately awe-inspiring conclusion.
An overjoyed audience cheered in the dark for several minutes before the band reappeared to perform “Does He Love You?” as their encore.
They unassumingly left the stage to the tune of raucous approval. The crowd was so elated that it is no stretch to promise that the next time Rilo Kiley is in town,”[we’ll] be waiting under the blacklight.”
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