Several years ago, I was gearing up for my first live U2 concert experience.
Naturally, I raced to see which of the five possible opening bands would be coming with U2 to the Northwest. I had read an earlier press release that the possibilities were; The Killers, Keane, Kanye West, Snow Patrol and Kings of Leon. At the time, my preferential ranking probably looked like this:
- Snow Patrol
- Keane
- The Killers
- Kanye West
- Kings of Leon
Naturally, Kings of Leon was the choice and my first reaction was one of disappointment. I had heard of them plenty of times, but never really put forth the effort to invest in them. Then I read a quote from Bono lauding their musical talents, and professing that it was his decision to invite them on tour as a supporting act. This provided KOL with plenty of credibility in my mind, so I decided to approach the concert with an open mind.
Now opening for the biggest band in the world is no small task, but to say that I was underwhelmed by KOL would be putting it kindly. Lead singer, Anthony Followill’s voice sounded like he smoked a pack of unfiltered Marlboro Reds that he found in a time capsule from 1977 that he dug up outside of the arena. They just didn’t excite me, or have the texture or full sound to be playing in front of 17,000 people. I found myself longing for any of the four other opening acts.
For the next couple of years, I didn’t pay much attention to KOL, I had made up my mind that their sound just didn’t appeal to me and I was OK with that. Then, they were everywhere. All of my friends were listening to them and some were even listing them as one of their favorite bands. Bands mature all of the time, they grow, they improve and they evolve. I decided to give the new album a fair shake. Before I knew it, you couldn’t go into any clothing store or turn on any FM radio station and not hear “Sex is on Fire” or “Use Somebody”. Kings of Leon had taken a firm grasp of the rock landscape and despite my attempted objectivity, I still just couldn’t understand it. Most of their songs have choruses of the same sentence repeated over and over again. The chord progressions felt as repetitive and predictable as the lyrics. How come I am the only one that feels this way? I love classic southern rock, I am supposed to appreciate a band that is attempting to bring that classic southern rock sound to my generation. Still, something is missing.
Last week, Atlanta-based Ponderosa released their LP, “Moonlight Revival”. The lead singer showcases a nice southern grit to his voice and it feels like what southern roots rock should sound like in 2011. It’s catchy, with soulful undertones and impressive instrumental accompaniments. There are melodies, great electric guitar solos and diversified styles. Measured up against Kings of Leon, Ponderosa expresses more musical talent and less predictable repetition. Ponderosa has finally delivered a modern version of Southern Rock and I can’t wait to see them in concert. Whether it be as an opening act on the world’s biggest stage, or in a rundown southern bar with way too many tacky Jack Daniels dispensers and light beers on tap. Either way, I’m already sold on their talents.
To give KOL anything more than a “meh” rating would be an attack on real music…