Earlier in the week The Killers’ frontman Brandon Flowers returned in a big way with new solo single “Can’t Deny My Love.” It marked a step into a world of big glossy 80s synth-pop, more aligned with The Killers’ Hot Fuss than his debut solo offering Flamingo. “Can’t Deny My Love” is on his new album The Desired Effect, which Island Records will release on May 18. On Tuesday night Flowers played an intimate show at Webster Hall to share some songs, both new and old.
Donald Cumming of The Virgins, opened the show, making the evening a night of frontmen gone solo. He’s due to release his debut solo album Out Calls Only, on June 16th via Washington Square Music. Cumming performed some new material by himself, either with electric or acoustic guitar. They were more or less quite reminiscent of his work with The Virgins, just a bit more stripped down. He threw in two Virgins favorites in the middle of his set, “Rich Girls,” and “One Week of Danger,” which are always good to hear. Find Cumming’s debut single “Game of the Heart” posted further down in the post.
Flowers began his show about 20 minutes after doors, surprising fans who waited in the cold for hours by playing an acoustic version of new song “The Way It’s Always Been.” Unless you were one of the select few who showed up early, the first song of the night was the large-scale “Dreams Come True,” also the opening track of The Desired Effect. Flowers is backed by his own band (no members of The Killers to be found here) and two backing female vocalists. They tightly bring Flowers vision to life, but it’s very much the Brandon Flowers in every way. From his shiny suit to the bright Las Vegas light show, he made Webster Hall his own.
Even after doing this for so long (11 years) Flowers admitted that coming to New York was still intimidating to him. But there were no sign of nerves at any point of his confident performance. Flowers seemed most in his wheelhouse during an early 4-song run of Flamingo tracks, which included “Crossfire,” “Magdalena,” “Hard Enough” and “Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts.” Flowers then told the crowd he was going to then do some covers, which ended up being The Killers songs. He played an alt-country version of “Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine,” “Read My Mind,” and a even dancier version of “Human” which may have gotten the biggest crowd reaction of the night. Right after Flowers actually did indulge in an actual cover, diving his teeth into Robert Palmer’s “Simply Irresistible.”
The rest of the set featured some new songs such as “Digging Up The Heart” and his great new single “Can’t Deny My Love.” The new material sounds a bit more livelier and in tune with Flowers work with The Killers than the more alt-country influenced Flamingo. The encore performance of “Mr Brightside” (the Jacques Lu Cont Remix version) reminded us of Flowers when he’s at his best, and if he can capture even half of that spirit with the rest of the his new album, it will be a winner.
Photos and video from the performance posted below.
Brandon Flowers – “Can’t Deny My Love”:
Brandon Flowers Setlist:
(pre-show):The Way It’s Always Been
1. Dreams Come True
2. Crossfire
3. Magdalena
4. Hard Enough
5. Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts
6. Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine
7. Read My Mind
8. Human
9. Simply Irresistible (Robert Palmer Cover)
10. Swallow It
11. Digging Up the Heart
12. Can’t Deny My Love
Encore:
13. Right Behind You
14. Only the Young
15. Mr. Brightside (Jacques Lu Cont Remix)
Donald Cumming – “Game Of The Heart”:
Brandon Flowers:
Brandon Flowers – “Can’t Deny My Love” (Live at Webster Hall):
Brandon Flowers – The Way It’s Always Been (Live at Webster Hall):
Brandon Flowers – “Only The Young” / “Mr. Brightside (Jacques Lu Cont Remix version) (Live at Webster Hall):
Brandon Flowers – “Simply Irresistible” (Robert Palmer Cover) (Live at Webster Hall):
Brandon Flowers – “Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine” (Live at Webster Hall):
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