Three cheers to the Rialto Theatre for bringing some fabulous shows to Tucson this fall. Indie pop mainstay Rilo Kiley brought an exciting performance to the venue Tuesday night.
Jenny Lewis, the band’s most prominent and popular member, spent the night with a smile on her face while constantly switching instruments. More striking was her glittering red and silver outfit that dazzled adoring fans.
Rilo Kiley
Rialto Theatre
4 stars!
October 9
www.rilokiley.com
Lewis’ first lyrics were barely audible, with screaming fans drowning out her beautiful yet powerful voice. Songs like “”With Arms Outstretched”” and “”It’s a Hit”” reminded the crowd why they worship the indie goddess for more than her good looks.
Tracks from the band’s latest record, Under The Blacklight, took center stage at the show. While catchy tunes like “”The Moneymaker”” and “”Give A Little Love”” are great live, they represent a small change in direction for the band.
The new songs might be a slight letdown to some older fans, but the band still knows how to put on a fun show.
Midway through the night, the group’s crew threw giant, confetti-filled balloons into the audience. After a short round of play, the crowd got the balloons back on stage with nearly disastrous results.
In an attempt to save the band’s equipment from the barrage of balloons, guitarist Blake Sennett sent gold confetti flying in the air with a tap of his guitar pick. Moments later, another burst of confetti covered the crowd with a layer of sparkling gold. Eager fans reached out to grab some as if to save a piece of the night.
Another shining moment was Sennett stealing the spotlight from Lewis during the new song “”Dreamworld.”” Lewis gets most of the credit for the band’s success, but Sennett is an incredibly talented musician as well. His expressive vocals have improved greatly during his recent time with his other band, The Elected.
Less than obvious during the show was the presence of Orenda Fink, known for her defunct group Azure Ray. Fink handled backup vocals, keyboard and guitar as part of her current stint as a backup musician for Rilo Kiley.
The only disappointment of the night was the band’s short encore. Perhaps Lewis wanted to rush back to her laptop to start downloading the new Radiohead record. From the looks of it, most of the crowd was going to do the same.