By: Ryan Torok

Cold War Kids :: 01.23.10 :: The Wiltern :: Los Angeles, CA

In the midst of a six-date tour in support of their new EP, Behave Yourself (released December 21), Cold War Kids made a stop at The Wiltern. During “We Used to Vacation,” a fan favorite from the Long Beach quartet’s debut, Robbers & Cowards (2006), singer/bandleader Nathan Willett attempted to sing in his signature screeching wail and falsetto, but with his roadie standing over him, holding the mic steady, Willet looked like he couldn’t let quite as loose as he wanted to. In many ways, this was the evening’s most compelling moment.

Willett has a knack for vivid storytelling about real people, but he failed to make a connection with the real people standing in the audience this night. Sure, the crowd of mostly older teenagers welcomed guitarist Jonnie Russell‘s snaking licks on “Hang Me Out to Dry” and the scrappy dance-punker “Something Is Not Right With Me” – off their stellar sophomore effort, Loyalty to Loyalty (JamBase review) – with enthusiastic applause, but they could have been listening to the albums at home. It would have been the same experience. The only surprise was a musically faithful cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Long As I Can See the Light,” although, with Willett’s unusual vocals, it was hard to recognize.

Yes, Cold War Kids are a radio rock band and fans don’t go to their shows expecting improvised jams that last over ten minutes. But the band incorporates more obscure genres like soul and punk into their music, and the indie rock world embraces them, so their live shows could better reflect their open-mindedness and ability to transcend the line between underground and mainstream. They are capable of more than just performing the songs the way they sound on the albums, especially since some of the material is almost five years old already. Given the amount of time they’ve had touring with these songs, they could experiment more with the live renditions.

Fortunately for the band, some of the songs are strong enough that even when played almost exactly like their studio counterparts it’s still a treat. The powerful vocals and haunting piano minor keys in “Hospital Beds” made for a show highlight, as did the intensely catchy new tune “Audience,” which features a hip hop drum beat courtesy of Matthew Aveiro. An appreciation for hip hop is evident in other places as well. During “St. John,” Willett shook a tambourine and rapped melodically over Matt Maust‘s heavy bass line, and this was also strong.

Truth be told, the band sounded confident and comfortable throughout the 80-minute set, but that wasn’t enough. Cold War Kids enjoy commercial success and share some fans with chart-topping groups like Linkin Park, so there is probably pressure to perform like an arena rock band, to abandon their more indie and artful tendencies altogether – this is a business, after all – but, to borrow the words from one of their own songs, “something is not right” about it.

Cold War Kids :: 01.23.10 :: The Wiltern :: Los Angeles, CA

I’ve Seen Enough, Hair Down, Audience, Red Wine, Success!, Welcome To The Occupation, Coffee Spoon, Dreams Old Me Dream, Relief, Hang Me Up To Dry, Santa Ana Winds, Hospital Beds, Long As I Can See The Light (CCR cover), St. John, Something Is Not Right With Me

E: Mexican Dogs, Tell Me In The Morning, Sermons, We Used To Vacation

Cold War Kids tour dates available here.

JamBase | Lukewarm
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