Swagger. Funk. Soul. Movement. Good Times. If enjoyment wasn't to be found at Cold War Kids at the Forum last night then you are very hard to please. Ladies and Gentlemen this band is good, real good. If you weren't a fan of their debut record "Robbers and Cowards" and decided to give this show a miss then you just happened to miss a great night of music. This band deserve the hype, they were unbelievably tight, dishing out rhythms and melodies like there was no tomorrow. But first the venue. My first time there and I was impressed. Its only downfall is that like any new venue it doesn't have the character and history of a more established place. But the 3 levels of viewing create a real ampitheatre and the sound and lighting was excellent.

Cold War Kids were greeted to a warm reception and were flowing right away, starting with "Rubidoux" and "Passing the Hat". Then "We Used To Vacation" came and the crowd was in raptures. This, among things, was a highlight of the night. It was a well put together set list with the bigger numbers placed strategically through out the night. Of course "Hang Me Up To Dry" was greeted with massive cheers and provoked a big singalong but my favourite was "Hospital Beds". I was so excited to hear this and their rendition didn't let me down. They threw in a couple of new ones in the middle of the set and these sounded great and a couple of covers as well, Tom Waits and John Lennon. Other highlights were a searing rendition of "Saint John" and a ghostly version of "Robbers" where the band turned little lights on the audience as all the house lights were turned down. The great thing I found about this band is that all four members are totally immersed in the music and are so in sync together. Nathan Willet's voice is something to behold, soulful and powerful it easily filled the venue. Jonnie Russell dazzled on guitar and provided vocals when needed to, plus he managed to get sound out of a wine bottle! Matt Maust and Matt Aveiro provided a great base with the rhythm section, driving the band where it needed to go. And they seemed to be getting as much out of the night as the crowd were. I left this show with a big smile on my face and you can't ask for more than that.

For some better photos of the night go to Matt Booy's Flickr page

Set List
Rubidoux
Passing The Hat
We Used To Vacation
Saint John
Dirt In The Ground (Tom Waits cover)
Hospital Beds
God, Make Up Your Mind
Red Wine, Success!
Robbers
???? (new song)
Dreams Old Men Dream
Hang Me Up To Dry
Hair Down
Expensive Tastes

Tell Me In The Morning
Well, Well, Well (John Lennon cover)