The Kills w/ L.A. Witch
Showbox SoD0, Seattle, WA
06.01.16

Just two days before the release of their fifth studio album Ash & Ice, The Kills – nearing the end of their US tour – managed to keep up their incendiary pace for a set that showed off why they’ve garnered such fan loyalty over the years. They kicked off their set with the thundering bass of “No Wow,” the title track of their second record, Alison Mosshart handling the mic stand like it was her b*tch. The hair-tossing began right off the bat, Mosshart’s signature thrashing a recurring visual for their live sets.

“Heart is a Beating Drum” felt like they should have been in an arena, as Mosshart and Jamie Hince layered their ripping guitars, and then their back and forth “Kissy Kissy” got all sultry, it’s wavy, worldly rhythms wrapping around the crowd, encouraging plenty of gyrating. The set showed off the band’s ouvre, with both new and old tracks enticing the crowd to sing along.

A band worth seeing live at any juncture, with their growing catalog, it’s nice to see them hitting their range. “Doing it to Death” shows off a slightly dancier vibe, “Impossible Tracks” is spastic as hell, “Black Ballon” goes deep into the dark, and “Bitter Fruit” is all flashing strobe lights and space age. While the new tracks might not be breaking any band barriers, they execute their sets flawlessly, full of momentum, spot-on notes, and no-frills face melting.

Openers L.A. Witch – an all-female Cali trio – brought a scuzzy, reverb-soaked punk vibe for the early shift. It’s like campy, vintage surf-rock meets spooky, basement cacophony.

The Kills Set List
No Wow
U.R.A. Fever
Heart is a Beating Drum
Kissy Kissy
Hard Habit to Break
Heart of a Dog
Impossible Tracks
Black Balloon
Bitter Fruit
Doing it to Death
Baby Says
Whirling Eye
Pots and Pans
Monkey 23
Encore
Tape Song
Siberian Nights
Fried My Little Brains
Sour Cherry

Review by Stephanie Dore
Photos by Sunny Martini

The Kills
The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0L.A. Witch
The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0

The Kills with L.A. Witch at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA on 06.0