Paris, France
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Kings of Leon @ Le Zenith
with MGMT & The Whigs
Milan to Paris meant more driving through incredible European scenery.
Pictured above are mountains in southern France.
Driving through southern France, we decided to blah blah blah...
Enough of that hogwash. Let's get on with the show in Paris at Le Zenith. "The Best Show in the World on July 8, 2008," as I called it, was only a few hours away at the time of this photo. An American rock invasion consisting of The Whigs, MGMT and Kings of Leon was about to unleash itself on the anxious thousands that would later be in attendance in Paris.
Le Zenith is huge...holding approximately 6,000 people.
Whigs frontman Parker Gispert.
Whigs drummer Julian Dorio (left) and MGMT drummer Will Berman (right).
MGMT's Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser fulfilling one of the many press obligations they have on a recurring basis while on tour.
Nashville, Tennessee's Kings of Leon during soundcheck.
During the Whigs' soundcheck, the doors to Le Zenith opened and I saw something I haven't witnessed, anywhere, in a very long time. Kings of Leon fans were literally sprinting from the doors, through the venue's large lobby and concession area, into the arena to claim a front row spot on the floor in front of the stage. The blurred people you see pictured above are sprinters. It was crazy to witness, but very refreshing at the same time. People all over Europe, thus far, had great appreciation for quality rock music. Paris, as you can see, was no exception.
The Whigs, in their dressing room, prepare to take the stage in front of thousands of fans.
The Whigs, from Athens, Georgia, kicked-off the night.
And they did so with authority.
Notice Whigs frontman Parker Gispert's head-dip beneath the cymbals during "Already Young." Needless to say, the crowd thoroughly enjoyed this.
Whigs bassist, Tim Deaux (above), picks up the guitar during "Half the World Away." Whigs frontman, Parker Gispert, puts down the guitar and moves to the keys during that tune.
I've seen many performances by this Athens, Georgia rock trio, but this showing in Paris at Le Zenith was one of the best I've ever experienced.
In fact, during a break between songs in the Kings of Leon set later that night, KOL lead singer Caleb Followill remarked to the enormous crowd "I'd like to thank our good friends The Whigs for playing tonight...they really applied the pressure."
Up next, Brooklyn's MGMT. The band is gathered on the stairs leading up to the stage seconds before they amaze the thousands watching.
The Whigs just put on an incredible show.
It's now MGMT's turn.
They certainly did not disappoint.
During their hit "Electric Feel," the crowd went absolutely crazy.
Again, the crowd went absolutely crazy.
Like I've said before on this blog, MGMT's "Electric Feel," (in my meaningless, yet very public, opinion) is the coolest song in circulation today.
Simply put, MGMT's performance in Paris was top-notch.
Last up, the night's main event:
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon:
Caleb Followill - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Jared Followill - Bass
Matthew Followill - Lead Guitar
Nathan Followill - Drums
ATTENTION:
Kings of Leon & The Whigs will be on tour together soon in the U.S.
Check out those dates.
1/4 of KOL from a different angle.
KOL has a massive following in Europe. In Paris that night, they gave the crowd exactly what they came for. So did the two bands that played before the Nashville quartet.
The end of the Kings of Leon set meant that "The Best Show in the World on July 8, 2008" was over. But, that didn't mean the fun was necessarily over. After the show, a fairly large invitation-only private party was thrown at a bar in Paris. No photos were taken at the after party. Use your imagination.
Up next: Cologne, Germany
stay tuned.
