Thrill Kill

PD: Hey, Dave, it’s Nathan from the Pitch in Kansas City.

DK: Who?

Um, we’re supposed to have an interview?

Huh. I didn’t know that. But let’s do it. If only because I’m a Royals fan.

The Killers are associated with Vegas, but you’re really a Midwest boy, aren’t you?

That’s right. I’m from the heartland.

Pella, Iowa, doesn’t sound as sexy as Vegas, though.

No, it doesn’t. ‘Hi, I’m from Pella … home of the Flying Dutchman’ doesn’t have the same feel to it.

Is Iowa a good place for a member of the Killers to regain his bearings?

I have no bearings anymore. They’ve been blown apart. I’m thankful for everything that has happened for us … [but] it’s stressful. It’s like being beaten to death with candy.

This is your third time in Kansas City in six months.

I don’t think we’re going to be back for a while, though.

We’re your surrogate hometown.

Oh, yeah. I wasn’t kidding when I said I was a Royals fan. We used to go down to Kansas City for family vacations all the time when I was a kid. We’d go down to Royals games, Worlds of Fun, Oceans of Fun, that kind of thing.

Don’t suppose you have time for Worlds of Fun anymore?

No way. It seems the bigger you get, the more you’re bombarded with big decisions. Sacrifices need to be sacrificed. It’s coming down to never seeing Vegas or our girlfriends, let alone Iowa. I think that’s wearing on us, and we’re wearing on each other.

Is it the pressure of being an “it” band?

We always have expectations to be a five-star band, every single night. And we try to live up to that, so there’s always pressure on us. It’s been on us so long that we’re used to it now.

What do you do to escape?

I usually just crawl up in my bunk, put on my headphones — I just bought Rammstein and a Rolling Stones greatest hits — play my Gameboy and tune out the world.

Or come to Kansas City?

Right. Last time I was in Lawrence, I bought a George Brett rookie card that I’ve wanted since I was a kid. I could finally afford it, although now it costs half of what it did ten years ago.

Anything else you’d like to tell KC?

Sorry about the Royals.