Kings of Rock
Photos & Words by Joel Cacopardo
(Words edited by Raz)

Saturday November 15th, the Kings of Leon, We Are Scientists and The Whigs played the first of two sold out shows at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia. The crowd was primed for an all night rock show and all three bands definitely delivered.   

The Whigs opened the show early to a small crowd of their devoted fans. Playing a great mix of songs from their self-released first album Give ‘Em All A Big Fat Lip, and their new album Mission Control, they rocked hard and sounded surprisingly big for a trio. Lead singer Parker Gispert belted out his strong, raspy vocals that fit perfectly with the band's southern garage rock sound. When put together, these elements make it seem like they could have come out 15 years ago, but they never come off as dated. They bring the best aspects of 90’s grunge rock without its failings, resulting in a universal freshness that would appeal to any music fan.  

We Are Scientists maintained the high energy of the show with a powerful, charismatic set. Hailing out of New York City, W.A.S. have a fun, catchy sound with enough traditional Rock & Roll mixed in to avoid sounding like a cliché pop-punk band.  With their new album Brain Trust Mastery released in the spring and their recent single “After Hours” on the hit soundtrack for Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist, the crowd enthusiastically sang along with lead singer Keith Murray. Overall, the band was extremely tight and showed anyone in the crowd that was just waiting for Kings of Leon that they are not a band to just sit through.  

Waiting in the photo pit for the Kings of Leon to start, I had no idea what I was in for. I admit that I really underestimated how big this band really is. Not until the end of the show, when I walked from the front of the stage to the back of the venue, having to squeeze through raving fans the entire way, did I truly realize the enormity of this band’s following. As soon as the Kings stepped on the stage the crowd went wild for the Nashville natives, screaming, pumping their fists, anticipating what was to come. When the band launched into “Crawl”, the second song off their new album Only By Night, the crowd absolutely exploded.  

The set list was a mix of songs from all four of the band's albums, and without a break, the crowd sang along word-for-word to all of them. The band members themselves do not put on a wild stage show, though this does not discredit their live performance. Lead guitarist Matthew Followill is a master of his craft and his guitar style ranges from hard riffs to southern flavor to an ultra sexy swagger. Caleb Followill’s vocals were just as strong as on the album, and his stage presence gives him a cocky and arrogant classic frontman feel (that in no way made him seem like an asshole). The rhythm section made up of Nathan and Jared Followill rounded out their well-oiled attack, working perfectly together to fill out the distinct sound that the Kings of Leon have claimed as their own. Leaving the show, I was fully convinced that this band completely deserved the huge following that they command. (Click images below for high-res versions!)

Kings Of Leon: We Are Scientists: The Whigs: