To anyone on Broadway Ave. in Chicago on Wednesday night, it might have been confusing to see the confluence of the large number of people in cowboy boots and Western wear and another large group wearing The Killers t-shirts all converging on the Riviera Theatre. But for Brandon Flowers fans, it made perfect sense.
Flowers, the longtime frontman of the rock band The Killers, was performing at the theater on Sept. 16 in support of his new solo album, THRASHER. The album, Flowers’ third solo release, is heavily inspired by Flowers’ childhood, growing up in Nephi, Utah.
The singer and songwriter didn’t just draw lyrical inspiration from his childhood, but the album reflects a significant sonic and stylistic change for Flowers, as he delved headfirst into the country music he grew up on, like Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, for musical inspiration on the album.
A departure from Flowers’ previous works, THRASHER is a straight up country and Americana album, complete with a western twang from the singer that was on display during the concert.
Flowers took the stage promptly at 8:30pm in front of a packed crowd, and played two songs off of the new album, “The Red Ground” and “Does It Ever Cross Your Mind?” all while accompanied by an impressive backing band, and backup singers that filled in with perfect harmonies.
A lot has been said about Flowers’ new twangy country sound on THRASHER. Especially for anyone new to Flowers’ solo music, it can be a little surprising to see how hard the rock star leans into the country genre, but he said that his interest in the genre and inspiration that he’s drawn from it has always been a bit obvious, especially in his solo work.
“People keep asking when I went country—16 years before anyone noticed,” Flowers said to the crowd at the Riviera Theatre before leading into “Crossfire,” the singer’s debut solo single that was released on his 2010 solo album, Flamingo.
During the concert, Flowers kept speaking on his inspirations in the making of THRASHER, including the country and western music that he grew up on.
“I spent a long time being embarrassed by that music,” Flowers said, but he seems to be fully embracing it now.
He also paid homage to the country-folk and Americana singer John Prine during the show, saying that he was the “best Illinoisan,” about the singer-songwriter who grew up in Maywood, Ill., before launching into a cover of Prine’s “That’s the Way the World Goes ‘Round” near the middle of his set.
One thing that Flowers has probably picked up over the decades of touring with The Killers is how to make every song he sings feel anthemic. I mean, this is the guy who wrote “Mr. Brightside,” after all. But even the most intimate songs, like “Paradise,” inspired by his cousin Bobby, who parks cars at the Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, felt like a massive story and anthem for the working class. The Riviera Theatre holds about 2,500 people, but it felt much bigger when Flowers was on the stage.
The only downside of the show was no fault of Flowers, but instead was the layout of the venue. While the sound was phenomenal, the general admission area of The Riviera Theatre is laid out so awkwardly, with three different levels that ultimately leaves each the floor areas extremely cramped, that you either had to be against the barricade or over 6-feet-tall to be able to have a solid sightline of the show.
Even though Flowers is expanding his sound and exploring new genres and sources of inspiration, he still spent part of his set giving fans of The Killers a real treat, performing “In the Car Outside,” and “Read My Mind.”
Flowers may have changed his sound a bit on this album, but he’s still the same impressive showman that he’s been for more than 20 years, just one that’s fully assured that he’s able to take his career in any direction that he wants.
Brandon Flowers’ North American tour concludes at the beginning of October before picking back up in the UK.
Photos by Rob Loud
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