Photo by: Daniel Boczarski

Indie rock band The Kills hit the stage for a one hour set with lead singer Alison Mosshart and co-founder, collaborator and guitarist Jamie Hince performing at the razor's edge creating a fury of excitement for fans. They play to fans as if life itself depended on it. They strut the stage while their bodies reacted to each riff as if the sonic force of their music controlled them, not the other way around. Like an involuntary reaction by way of a certain possession. Mosshard has an allure like someone who is out of reach to the world around her.

Their hard-edged, angular, ripping guitar, and industrial, four-on-the-floor downbeats, and haunting vocals draw fans into their big sound and smart melodies. The third song in the set "Kissy Kissy" breakdowns with a sultry, blues riff that offers a roots, delta-meet-hard-rock vibe that stand on its own. This showed diversity in their songwriting. "Pots and Pans" plays tight between the vocal melody and guitar line backed with a droning bass that opens up with huge crashing, vintage, vibrato guitar chords that simply works so nicely together. 

They also performed their new single "List of Demands" and the b-side "Steppin' Razor", that seemed like the stronger of the two songs. Bang for the buck, it would be hard to pack more into a 60-minute set without shorting the breakers.

Set List:

Heart of a Dog

Ura Fever

Kissy Kissy

Hard Habit to break

Black Balloon

Whirling Eye

Baby Says

Tape Song

Echo Home

Doing it to Death

List of Demands

Steppin' Razor

Telephone Radio Germany

Pots & Pans

Monkey 23

The House of Vans Chicago summer line up is not to be missed:
May 31 - Vic Mensa
June 8 - Princess Nokia
June 21 - Iceage
July 12 - Dead Milkmen
July 27 - Unknown Mortal Orchestra
August 8 - Wolf Parade