Mark and I took in the KOL show at the Sun Dome on Friday. The drive was easier than I thought---that part of Tampa had very little traffic that time of evening. We made good time and were in our seats just as the opening act took the stage.

The opening act was The Walkmen, a band out of NYC. The indie hipsters love them, and they've been around for a long time and put out a bunch of CDs. I think their sound and equipment weren't right for an arena that size, because they sounded awful. Too distorted. I heard snippets of good songwriting in a couple of songs but I couldn't tell you what they were. Maybe they need more seasoning.

Kings of Leon were excellent. They took the stage at about 9:15 and played for two hours with a generous encore. Most of their set was from "Only By the Night", with the crowd singing along for the majority of "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody". Everybody around us was standing, and plenty of people were dancing. The Kings included songs from their entire discography and the crowd appeared to be intimately familiar with all the songs, so it wasn't a crowd of soccer moms who only know the radio hit. That's cool.

I've seen a lot of really good live bands. I've seen the bands who are considered the best in the industry. I've seen Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Metallica, Guns n Roses(original lineup!) and others which I don't have time to mention. Kings of Leon are as good live as anyone I've seen. They are a very tight band. Maybe it's because they're family. Maybe it's because they've been touring for the past FIVE YEARS, but they were eerily perfect all night. Caleb's voice sounded great---powerful, pleading, slightly nasal but very effective. Nathan's an excellent drummer--not flashy but provides the backbone they need to anchor the complicated rhythms of their songs. Guitar? Matthew Followill has improved drastically since the early days. At the beginning his guitar work was simple. Effective, but simple. I guess touring with U2 rubbed off on him, because his guitar FILLED the Sun Dome. I was reminded of The Edge in his playing. It's not a blatant ripoff, but he is definitely Edge influenced. The unsung hero of the band, however, is Jared Followill on bass. He's not flashy like Flea, but his rubbery bouncing basslines add depth and punch to KOL's songs. That's most evident on the new CD.

I've been reading about KOL for years in the music magazines. I kept reading about how they were HUGE in England and Australia. Now I understand why. They're a real band. A real good band. I don't get the feeling they're doing it solely for the money. I also think their best CD is yet to come. Will it be the next one? While it would be nice for them to hop right in the studio after this tour, a break may be better for the longevity of the band. Three brothers and a cousin in constant proximity is a combustible situation. I'd like to see them take a break and come back with their masterwork in 2011.

If there's any justice , they'll be the biggest band in the world. If they can do it without compromise, that would be great. U2 is the model for longevity and credibility in a band, IMHO. Love them or hate them, U2 never puts out half-assed music. Radiohead is another. RHCP yet another. These bands are all HUGE acts but maintain artistic crediblity in wholly different genres. KOL can be U2 big. I hope they keep it together.