UTG PHOTOS: The Kills in New York, NY (05/17/16)

June 6th, 2016

MJ Rawls

the kills feature

By the looks of the packed Music Hall of Williamsburg, the five-year absence of The Kills did not go unnoticed. For that venue, where bands can be virtually on top of the front row, this was a great night for a gritty rock show. As a constant supporter of The White Stripes, it’s impressive to see a two-person ensemble release so much fury. (Coincidentally, The Kills’ Alison Mosshart plays with Jack White in The Dead Weather). If you were looking for a morsel of space, it was nowhere to be found—although, perhaps just enough for a puddle of sweat to accumulate throughout the hour-and-a-half set filled with dancing. The two-piece garage band was clearly happy to be reunited with the road and the enthusiastic, borderline-claustrophobic energy of their fans.

The mix of dark blue and hot white lights was the perfect companion to The Kills’ music, and lead singer/guitarist Alison Mosshart found herself in between whipping her hair violently to the music or slightly peering into the eyes of the crowd with the mic stand bent slightly. There were times where she just surrendered her movement to the humming of the guitar and thumps of the programmed drums. There was something infectious about it.

One of the points during the show where everything came together was when the band performed their new song, “Heart Like A Dog,” off their upcoming album, Fire & Ice. The song is just as tight live and served as an indication of where the band is going. Think a hint of the gruffness of their previous albums with the maturity that you might gain with a five-year break. However, the encore of the show recalled some favorites like “Tape Song” and “Siberian Nights.” In many ways, this show was perfect for the Brooklyn venue; the best rock shows tend to be the up-close-and-personal ones. No matter where you stood, you watched a two-person band tear up a stage better than most full-roster acts.