Cords snaked all across the Bluebird stage Wednesday night, tangling one with another as the worn out boots of the Cold War Kids danced and covered the most ground on the Bluebird's stage than I've ever seen before. As much fun as the band appeared to be having, the packed crowd was definitely having more.
But first up was Chicago natives Young Man. While pretty much everyone paid the $18 ticket price to see Cold War Kids, Young Man captivated the rowdy audience and came away with more fans than they started with, including this reviewer.
Throughout their entire 45-minute set, the five-piece band stopped playing maybe three or four times. Instead, intensely long musical interludes would bleed from one song to the next. The entire set, especially when another wave of bass would course through me, I couldn't help but think how Pink Floyd-esque their style is and that these guys deserve to be huge.
As for the main event, genuine rock stars Cold War Kids earned that moniker, even brushing off a bra thrown in from the crowd as if that happens at breakfast and lunch, too.
Opening the set with the immediate crowd-pleaser "Royal Blue" set the tone for the rest of the night. I felt fairly acquainted with these guys before the show, but the entire front row sang almost every lyric to the 19 song set.
Now that is a dedicated fan base.
I had predicted in my preview that it would be an extremely Mine is Yours-heavy set, and while they certainly touched on all the hits, true Cold War Kids fans were blessed with a set that spanned over three full albums and an EP.
The band was obviously feeding off of the energy of the crowd as lead singer Nathan Willett became more and more animated, leaning into the crowd, allowing beautiful college women to stroke his pant legs.
As I alluded to before, I have never seen the Bluebird stage so wide open. Drummer Matt Aveiro was tucked way back in the corner, leaving lots of dancing room for bassist Matt Maust and backup guitarist Jonnie Russell. Boy, did they ever use it.
Running around stage, jumping over wires, knocking mic stands down, stage hands diving in to set them back up, and band members playfully kicking each other in the ass were common occurrences throughout the entire two-hour set.
They finished the set with "Hospital Beds" and the crowd went berserk. So much so that they refused to go anywhere. After a solid encore chant that I was proud to be a part of, Cold War Kids came back on for a few more songs.
Wednesday night was a testament to the fact that bands that are already huge can still play a venue like The Bluebird and put on a damn good show. The band agreed as they asked to come back again sometime.
Please, come back soon.
Complete setlist:
Royal Blue
Hair Down
Audience
Hang Me Up To Dry
Sensitive Kid
Santa Ana Winds
Flying Upside Down
Welcome To The Occupation
Louder Than Ever
Passing The Hat
Mine Is Yours
Every Man I Fall For
Cold Toes On The Cold Floor
Bulldozer
Hospital Beds
*4-song Encore
Post and photography by Jonathan Streetman
