Want to stir up the college kids to a frenzy?

Just start them out with fun and funky Thom Kirkpatrick, keyboard player for The Kooks, with his “21st Century One Man Band.” An act so quirky and entertaining there aren’t even words for it. His music was filled with irony, a wink and a nod at everything from country to hip hop and was just fantastic! The crowd loved it and he really helped set the tone for the night.

Next, add a healthy dose of The Postelles, who used every inch of the stage and gave it every bit of energy and love of the music they had. Singer Daniel Balk encouraged the crowd up and louder (an easy feat with these guys performing) and bowed to the audience request of an Elvis cover of “Hound Dog” and if that wasn't enough...the lucky crowd in Colubmus a new track too. There’s really nothing these guys touch that doesn’t turn to gold.

By the time The Kooks made it to the stage, the crowd was ready for them and for their favorite tunes. They opened with “Is it Me?” and rolled right into other well known tracks like “Always Where I Need to Be,” “Sofa Song,” and “Matchbox” before starting to mix in more work from the new album, starting with “Rosie.”

Overall, The Kooks set was…safe. While they didn’t neglect the new stuff, a big chunk of the show was actually from Junk of the Heart, I would love to have heard something a little more in keeping with the new sounds I’m hearing in my iPod. Somehow the intricate guitar work that comes out in new tunes just didn’t seem to translate live. What they played was great but it would have been awesome to hear the bluesy “Fuck the World Off” or “Taking Pictures of You” for instance. Work that was somewhat more experimental new stuff; not the new stuff in the same vein as the old…

Not that I’m complaining, mind you. “Do You Wanna” was fun, energetic and perfect! “Shine On” was a hands-in-the-air anthem and Luke Pritchard pulled off a dazzling version of “Seaside” that reminded me just why I love The Kooks so much. But there really was something slightly...missing. Talking with friends and fans we decided that the stage set up made it feel as if we were watching the boys perform in a cage. It may have been the size of the Newport Music Hall stage, smallish but usually sufficient, didn’t support the concept The Kooks had when they laid out their stage concept. Across the front of the stage was a riser platform that raised Pritchard (the only Kook to actually make use of the riser) well above the heads and thus comfortable viewing angle for the audience; and left the rest of the band well hidden in the shadowy light and overabundance of fog.

I would have loved to have made it to another show in the tour, see if the issues we had were venue related or not. They played a strong, safe set that sounded like you expect The Kooks to sound: light and lively and fun. The crowd, including myself, danced and sang. Some were feeling raucous enough that security up front were kept busy plucking the surfers from the crowd and sending them on their way.

Overall, I was really glad to finally see The Kooks live. It was well worth the wait and if their tour wasn’t totally sold out, I’d be going again.

Note: The Postelles ended their run with the Kooks in Chicago on November 26th. Yawn have replaced The Postelles for the remainder of The Kooks tour. After a short break, The Postelles have a couple of shows scheduled for the west coast. Here’s hoping to see more from them in the spring! Stay tuned for more information from these New York boys!