Welcome to Sam’s town; home of androgynous women, outdated facilities and eerie desolation. On Friday, April 27 at the Tweeter Center at the Waterfront in Camden, NJ, The Killers brought to life the dynamics of Sam’s Town. The performance of the second of their two albums made quite the impact on the crowd, as did their opening act, the Silver Beats. The Silver Beats, a band from Japan, covered Beatles hits, but managed to elicit the participation in the audience not just in nostalgia, which actually was a prevalent motif in the rest of the performance, but in general enthusiasm for the imminent act as well.
What was particularly interesting, possibly even impressive to Beatles fans in the crowd, was the intended resemblance of hair and clothing of the members of Silver Beats to the members of the Beatles. The band’s execution of music such as “Hard days Night,” “Twist and shout” and ” I want to Hold Your Hand” was an effective means to excite the audience.
Initially, this particular selection of music didn’t seem as appropriate to set the table for a Killers’ concert, but the Silver Beats added a contemporary edge to the selection which made it very applicable to the hard-sounding and salient style of the Killers. What allowed the fans to become enthused was the Silver Beats rendition of “Come together,” which invited the audience to prepare themselves for the main show.
The Killers produced a film that illustrated what a person would find in Sam’s Town, elements that were neither normal nor inviting, but this actually prepared the audience for a night of powerful and unbridled atmosphere.
“Sam’s Town,” the album is very cinematic in that the listener gleans and recognizes elements of what a story would contain. In fact, a recurring theme of the concert was nostalgia, which not only reinforced the previous act, but it delivered the theme of the album itself. Certain songs like “Sam’s Town” and “Uncle Johnny” actually elicited more participation from the crowd in singing, but there was an evident increase in the synergy of the setting.
The icing on the cake as far as enthusiasm was concerned was the playing of “When You Were Young.” This song mirrored the theme of the concert.
And as most artists do, older songs are always appropriate. Songs from “Hot Fuss” like “Mr. Brightside,” “Smile Like You Mean It” and “Somebody Told Me” were welcome with unbridled acceptance.
For any Killers fan and anyone who attended the show, it was worth the time. Ultimately, The Killers effectively brought a seemingly foreign place like “Sam’s Town” home for all to enjoy and remember.