Rilo Kiley was ‘Really F**king On’ at the Uptown

1 hour ago

Jason Colvin,

Rilo Kiley. // photo by Jason Colvin

Rilo Kiley
with Jean-Luc Eldenwood
The Uptown Theater
Wednesday, May 27

Sometimes in your life, you miss an opportunity to see a great band live. You revisit that band’s music here and there and think, “I bet they put on a great show.” Then you remember that the band had called it quits, and the sadness of missing out on them hits you. Last year, one of those bands announced they were reuniting and putting together a tour to celebrate. On Thursday, May 27, Rilo Kiley brought their Sometimes When You’re on You’re Really F**king On reunion tour to the Uptown Theater in Kansas City.

As I prepared my photography gear and readied myself to shoot some pictures of the show, I looked out into the crowd that was gathering in the venue. The fans gathering were a diverse collection of people from all age groups. People that had listened to them since they initially formed in 1998 and continued to make music through the 2000s were showing up in large numbers. But also, many young fans were making their way into the Uptown. The age diversity showed the far-reaching impact of the indie band’s music. By the time it was ready for the show to start, the place was filled from the front barricade all the way to the top balcony seating.

Jean-Luc Eldenwood. // phot by Jason Colvin

The night started with opener Jean-Luc Eldenwood, a solo singer-songwriter musician from California. Spending his time through his set behind his sleek white keyboard, he enchanted the audience with his gentle yet commanding and controlled voice. Promoting his new soon-to-be-released album The Beach, he performed a heartfelt thirty-minute set. The chosen songs showed off his emotional world-building writing skills. His passion for music came from every vocal and piano note. While most of the tempos were relaxed and chill for an opener, the emotion of his performance was setting the stage for the night ahead.

Rilo Kiley. // photo by Jason Colvin

When Rilo Kiley came onto the music scene, it was a time when indie rock used to ride waves of invisible currents. Back when we burned discs and found music on BitTorrent, sales numbers were not always a reliable metric for how big a band’s impact was in the scene. It was definitely a different time than now, where success is largely gauged by likes and the number of subscribers in the Steam-scape world. When the band took the stage this night, it was clearly evident how big their impact was, as fans’ loud cheers and applause filled the venue. The greeting brought smiles to their faces as founding band members Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, and Pierre de Reeder, along with longtime drummer Jason Boesel, took to the stage. Joining them as an additional touring guitarist was Harrison Whitford.

Kicking off their set most appropriately with “The Execution of All Things” from their 2002 album of the same name, the band sounded at the top of their game. It was as though they had not taken a decades-long break from making music together. They continued to just get better as the night progressed, playing through offerings from all four of their full-length studio albums.

Lewis showed off her skills as a multi-instrumentalist, moving between keyboard, synthesizer, and guitar. Her pure, distinct melancholic vocals delivered the vulnerable, sharp storytelling lyrics that blend joy and heartbreak that make their music so relatable. On lead guitar, Sennett jammed through one blistering lead after another. He also sang lead vocals on a couple of numbers. His live axe-picking skills blew me away, and it was a joy to see him play with such passion. You could see how thrilled he was to be playing their songs again.

Boesel drove the tunes’ momentum forward with fluid, bouncy drum textures that kept fans dancing. Reeder’s rhythmic bass blended indie rock grit with melodic pop sensibilities, acting as the glue of the band, grounding the bright, jangly guitars and emotive vocals. Whitford’s rhythm guitar helped provide harmony and added that extra little pulse to the jamming sound. A few times during the show, he dropped down to put his hands to the pedals to add layers of garage rock textures.

Rilo Kiley. // photo by Jason Colvin

There was no lack of energy from the band and the fans. At one point between songs when apparently a fight had broken out, they joked about how you can’t start a fight at a Rilo Kiley show; it’s not a Cannibal Corpse concert after all. During a few songs, they engaged the crowd by putting them up on a large screen at the back of the stage. Sharing her appreciation for the fans, Lewis pointed a small camera out to them as everyone cheered with love for the band. For most of the show, though, they didn’t waste much time as they moved through the set sounding incredibly tight while retaining the chemistry that originally made them a beloved staple of the 2000s indie scene. Closing out the regular set with the hit song “Portions for Foxes” had everyone bouncing and singing along. They left the stage, leaving the fans eager for more.

They returned to the stage a little later than planned as Lewis and Sennett explained they had a small delay with some technical issues. While getting ready to get back to playing, something flew up to the stage from the barricade. Sennett picked up the item to discover that a fan had made cards for the band. Sennett joked that when he first saw the items and picked them up, he thought he was picking up trading cards. To his delight, they were not just trading cards of the band, but Pokémon cards, and how it was exciting since his daughter collects them. Shout out to the guy who made them as I myself received one from him while down in the photo pit. They really are pretty epic.

Back to playing music, the band gave fans four more songs for an encore. A highlight being when they played “Frug,” the fun and goofy dance song from their 1999 debut album Take Offs and Landings. By the time they finished off the night with “Pictures of Success,” the band had made it clear why they had become such a successful and highly praised indie band in the past. A past that has become the present as this show proves they still have what it takes. The night also proved that fans still have a passionate desire to see them live. What the future holds for the band as they continue to tour through North America and then take their show overseas is unknown. Will we get new music? One can only hope because without a doubt, this band is really fucking on!

All photos by Jason Colvin

Rilo Kiley

Rilo Kiley setlist
The Execution of All Things
Spectacular Views
Paint’s Peeling
The Moneymaker
Dreamworld
I Never
Close Call
It’s a Hit
Does He Love You?
Ripchord
The Good That Won’t Come Out
Silver Lining
A Better Son/Daughter
Portions for Foxes
—
With Arms Outstretched
Frug
Breakin’ Up
Pictures of Success