UNCASVILLE – The Killers came to Mohegan Sun recently and from the opening notes to the last song, the energy level from the band and the crowd was amazing. Mostly playing festivals so far this year, the band made a stop in Uncasville and throughout the night showed why they are one of the premiere rawk bands today.
The lights dimmed and the opening sounds of Spaceman filled the arena, the band made their way to the stage as the crowd came to their feet. The band had a backdrop of a giant target with a few bullet holes in it. The band then lit in to one of their more popular songs, Somebody Told Me that had the crowd singing along and very much part of the show.
Lead singer Brandon Flowers and his endless energy ruled the stage. This is a man possessed up on the stage and the audience ate it up all night. The Killers played The Way it Was, Smile Like You Mean It, Bling and Human before doing a great cover of Credence Clearwater Revival’s Bad Moon Rising. This was an interesting choice for a cover song, but fit perfectly in the set.
At one point in the evening, Flowers mentioned they had a surprise guest backstage and were trying to coax him up on stage, but it wasn’t in the cards tonight. The surprise guest was lead singer of the Psychedelic Furs, Richard Butler. Since Richard didn’t want to come out and play with the band, they decided to run through a small piece of the Furs hit, Heartbreak Beat which was a nice tribute to the legendary rawker.
The Killers finished the evening with Read My Mind, Runaways and All These Things That I’ve Done before taking a five minute break and returning for the encore.
The band came back out and quickly ran through Shot at the Night, A Matter of Time, When You Were Young before finishing off the night with Mr. Brightside. This was a fully loaded 90-minute set that included most of their hits, a couple of covers and more energy from a band’s lead singer than I have ever witnessed at a concert. Also to note, with a general admission floor setting at Mohegan Sun (very rare), the crowd was in top form singing every chorus at the top of their lungs and cheering loudly at the start and end of every song.
The Killers visit to Mohegan Sun proved a couple of things: They have very loyal and loud fans and they have one of the most exciting and energetic lead singers in music today. This is a very professional band that writes killer songs and performs them just as well live. I will without hesitation see this band again. Truly an exceptional live concert experience.
