The Killers finally fulfilled their twice-postponed Houston show at the Toyota Center on Mother’s Day, and the performance did not disappoint.
At 9:04, a doctor with salt-and-pepper hair tied back into a ponytail took the stage. He introduced himself with an apology. The crowd tensed, some already assuming The Killers had canceled yet another Houston date.
“I regret to inform you,” the doctor said, “that The Killers have tested positive for rocking too hard.” A roar of laughter and relief erupted from the crowd, drowning out the ‘doctor’s’ last words. The show was on.
Touring in support of their latest album, Imploding the Mirage, the Las Vegas band opened with “My Own Soul’s Warning” in front of artwork from the album, reminiscent of a pastel renaissance oil painting. The first song served as a cover page for a novel, a bright introduction meant to set the mood. This meant that the title page was the Enterlude track from Sam’s Town, a bit of a traditional opener for the band. Seasoned fans sang along with frontman Brandon Flowers as he stood at his iconic lightning bolt podium, hands on his soundboard, expressing to the audience how “We hope you enjoy your stay.”
Just like the album, the Enterlude dove into “When We Were Young,” one of The Killers biggest chart-toppers. Dressed in black and gold, backup singers Erica Canales and Tori Allen rounded out songs that may have learned more on layering in their studio versions, almost stealing the show at times with the way they sparkled. The band dressed in relatively muted colors, save for flowers in his bright purple jacket.
Flowers was all smiles during “Shot at the Night,” really bringing out the Vegas in his posture and dance. He took a moment to apologize once more to the city for the delayed show, once due to scheduling conflicts and the other due to the singer coming down with a nasty case of the flu. The crowd agreed to forgive him, and he promised to make the show extra special, even chuckling about giving everyone a free poster as a consolation prize.
After being allowed to catch their breath with “Running Towards a Place,” the audience was back at the top when the first notes of “Human” began to play. The band performed in front of a wall of dancers within rectangles, all performing an interpretive dance when their area lit up in sync with the music.
The euphoric high was quickly turned into a frenzy for “Somebody Told Me,” accompanied by a laser light show. In true Las Vegas fashion, the band had been accompanied by an excellent visual show all night. Songs with catchy beats were made to feel like they were being played in a club. More story-driven songs were accompanied by relevant visuals, like “Runaways.” The song from the 2012 gem Battle Born was performed over a video taken from within a car as it traveled through dark Nevada backroads, barely lit up by headlights. As the music swelled and the lyrics became more hopeful, the sun began to rise. It’s small details like that that kept every part of the concert interesting.
Fans had brought signs to the show. Some requested songs, others thanked the band for (finally) making their way to Houston after canceling twice. One group in the standing area held signs begging the band to let them play bass and drums for a song, with people around them holding up arrows towards the sign. It caught Flowers’ eye. “Are you brothers? You want to play bass AND drums” This is unprecedented… should we let them up here?” Flowers asked the crowd. Houston eagerly agreed.
Brothers Jaden and Bailey took over for bassist Mark Stoermer and drummer Ronnie Vannuci to play “For Reasons Unknown,” likely cementing the day of May 14th as one of their core memories. The band couldn’t hide the delight on their faces, not only to see the kids actually knew their way around the instruments, but at their infectious joy as well.
Flowers lost his jacket during “Read My Mind,” and guitarist Ted Sablay sautered across the stage for an extended guitar solo as a wall of gold sparks showered behind him. The band closed with “All These Things That I Have Done,” returning shortly after for an encore consisting of “Spaceman,” “Run For Cover,” and the infamous “Mr. Brightside,” concluding the night with a downpour of confetti and streamers as the crown streams in satisfaction.
On their way out, fans realized Flowers hadn’t been joking about the free posters after all, with everyone being handed an exclusive poster just for Houston featuring a ‘3’ made out of horseshoes in the center.
For fans of storytelling and Vegas theatrics, The Killers show in Houston was certainly worth the wait.
All Photos in this article are credited to Chris Phelps | @chrisphelps
I am a multimedia journalist with a passion for guitar-based music – be that rock-n-roll, bachata, or anything in between. When not in a mosh pit, I can be found knitting, collecting CDs, thrifting, journaling, or attempting to incite chaos among feuding global powers. I hold a bachelors degree in Broadcast Journalism and a masters degree in Mass Communication from the University of Houston, making me twice the Coog you'll ever be 😉
