We saw them from afar at Shaky Knees last year. Food and a seat drew us away from the main scene for a little while in the middle of that Saturday afternoon. Still, as Cold War Kids took one of the smaller stages, the crowd was large, rowdy, and very into them. Mercury Ballroom offered a more intimate show this Tuesday, but the atmosphere in the crowd wasn’t much different than that humid Saturday. Fans ranged from college students to spirited middle aged folks, but a good time was had by all.
Lead singer Nathan Willett had a bout of the unfortunate winter cold, and had a tough time hitting those high notes, but the “Louisville choir” helped him out – that seems to be a trend at the shows we’ve gone to lately. Luckily, Willett (and the rest of the band) has so much natural energy that the rest of the set was no problem. The audience mirrored that energy, lining every inch of the upstairs balcony and reaching all the way to the bar on the first floor.
One thing I wish could be changed is the length of sets at Mercury – I feel like they’re often shorter than they should be for the caliber of bands that come through there. Granted, it was a Tuesday night, but it’s something that I’ve noticed more often than not, and I think those bands (and their fans) deserve more air time. Cold War Kids certainly could have pulled more great music from their portfolio to showcase. Maybe they’ll be able to do so this summer when they join the masses on Louisville’s waterfront for Forecastle. I think they’ll put on another excellent show for our city.
-Brittany
Live Music Louisville 