The Kills have been putting on one of the most exhilarating live shows in all of mainstream indie rock for over twenty years at this point. I have not seen the duo, made up of multi instrumentalist/singer Alison "VV" Mosshart and guitar noise machine Jamie "Hotel" Hince, since 2009. The moment they strutted onto The Mayan’s beautiful stage Monday night and the beat for “No Wow” kicked in you would have thought it was back then all over again from the sheer energy coming off the stage. 

They could barely hold back how happy they were to be back on tour and back in Los Angeles for a fervent crowd. To keep up the energy of the show that The Kills do nightly, you need an audience that transfers the energy the performers are given back and forth in a cycle and this crowd was ready for every note with sometimes more energy than the band. One of the beautiful things about coming back to shows post-lockdown ending is the feeling most of the time that everyone really wants to be there and is incredibly excited to pay those fees, get that parking and brave the pit for a couple hours of bliss before you go back home and can’t stop thinking about the next one. 

The band, the crowd, and the beautiful historic venue (which is criminally underused) were all sympatico for over an hour and a half of scuzzy beats, dirty fuzzy guitars and lyrics of heartbreak. The power and vulnerability of Mosshart’s soft but firm voice felt like it had an urgency that I never really heard in studio recordings. When she wasn't breaking the room’s hearts she had a big smile on her face as she would gush about being back with such childlike glee.

L.A. Witch were the openers, who are a local Los Angeles band who have been around since 2011. They released two albums through Seattle independent label Suicide Squeeze Records and they sound like if you only let Mazzy Star record with The Jesus And Mary Chain’s producers. They’re loud, fuzzy and have plenty of twang. Guitarist and singer Sade Sanchez doesn't seem to like to say anything into the mic, letting bassist Irita Pai thank the crowd for showing up on time, when she isn't singing but once she strums her first chord you can not help but listen to her voice riding over their Gun Club and X inspired instrumentals. If you haven't listened to them please put on their most recent album Play With Fire and go for a drive in Yucca Valley. 

Review & Photos by: Ben LaCross

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