One of the reasons We All Want Someone exists is because of bands like Cold War Kids. Looking back at the California band’s now impressive ten year history, they got a big boost from music blogs that helped jump start their young career. Watching the effect that blogs had on bands like Cold War Kids made me want to be a part of this culture. Ironically enough, one of the first posts that I did was about the release of “Something Is Not Right With Me.” It was the first post to garner even the slightest bit of attention, and gave me a well needed push to believe that I could actually do something with the blog, and here we are today.
Somehow seven years have passed since that moment, and Cold War Kids are still very much alive and kicking. Last night they sold out Terminal 5 along with tourmate Elliot Moss and showed that there’s plenty of gas left in the tank.
Elliot Moss is a New York-based 21-year-old multi-instrumentalist, but live his project comes off more as a full-fledged band, rather than a solo effort. Moss has assembled a tight rotation of players that give his music a larger live scope. His material is diverse and well rounded, dabbling in various sounds throughout their opening set. Some songs lingered with a rather moody electronic atmosphere that reminded of Alt-J, but Moss also weaved in elements of rock and even jazz. He’s due to release his debut album Highspeeds on April 28 via Grand Jury Music. Based on the impressive outing I saw last night, it could be one of most enticing debuts of the first half of 2015.
The journey of Cold War Kids has not be an ordinary one. With so many of music blog-era “buzz bands” fading or disappearing altogether, it’s amazing that Cold War Kids have been able to sustain such a steady level of success. They’ve lost a few members along the way, and had to battle against their fair share of naysayers, but Cold War Kids are still going steady. They’re still strong enough to sell out Terminal 5, which is never a easy feat.
This tour was in support of their new album, last year’s Hold My Home, released last fall. Its songs made up for a large majority of their set, along with 2013’s Dear Miss Lonelyhearts. There was no question though, it was their earliest material that made the biggest splash, such as “We Used To Vacation,” “Louder Than Ever,” “Hospital Beds,” and of course, “Hang Me Up To Dry.”
Prior to last night, my only other times seeing them were opening for Muse (only now do I see how odd of a pairing that was) and at the Catalpa Festival, both of which weren’t the ideal settings to take in a Cold War Kids show. Then again, going into the show I assumed Terminal 5 was a bit too big for them, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well they were able to fill out the room. Singer Nathan Willett’s vocals were confident and assured, and the presence of bassist Matt Maust couldn’t be ignored. Maust presence is calmly animated, maintaining a quiet demeanor, even when he was playing towards the edge of the stage glaring right into the eyes of fans in the front row. I’m pretty sure the end of his bass almost scraped my lens a few times.
It’s encouraging to see a band like Cold War Kids not just hanging on, but delivering lively shows full of passionate fans who are still ready to sing along to the chorus’ of “Hang Me Up To Dry” and “Hospital Beds.” They’ve proven they still got plenty left to give.
Cold War Kids Setlist:
1. All This Could Be Yours
2. Miracle Mile
3. Loner Phase
4. We Used to Vacation
5. Red Wine, Success!
6. Audience
7. First
8. Louder Than Ever
9. Hot Coals
10. Hang Me Up to Dry
11. Harold Bloom
12. Tuxedos
13. Drive Desperate
14. Something Is Not Right With Me
15. Hospital Beds
Encore:
16. Bottled Affection
17. Well Well Well (John Lennon Cover)
18. Hold My Home
19. Saint John
Elliot Moss:
Cold War Kids:
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