The Kooks’ experience shines through on a Wednesday night.
Everyone needs a midweek getaway; those in attendance at the sold out Kooks show on Wednesday certainly got one, as The Kooks shook the stage at the Observatory North Park. The crowd was raring to go following the Irish opener The Academic, and waited patiently for over 45 minutes, eager for The Kooks to finally come out. At last, the lights dimmed, and the British rockers strutted across the stage to a bursting roar from the crowd.
The Kooks proved touring was not new to them. They had it all: in-sync lighting arrangements, tight drumming, live looping, and crowd control. Lead singer Luke Pritchard demonstrated his raw energy, taking his guitar strap off and letting the synths of the chorus take him over in their performance of “Westside.” With his unbuttoned top, he twirled and jumped around stage letting his arms swing loose, putting on a display of pure enjoyment.
While they played popular tunes like “Ooh La” and “She Moves in Her Own Way,” The Kooks also previewed music from their unreleased album “Let’s Go Sunshine” giving the crowd something they had never heard before. Lead guitarist Hugh Harris captivated the audience in a slow, solo performance where he showed off his talented vocals.
The lights went dark and The Kooks left the stage at 10P.M., but it seemed too soon. No one from the crowd motioned to leave and a roaring “ENCORE” went on for minutes. Finally, Luke Pritchard took the stage fingering “One more” and played a solo acoustic version of calm sing-along, “Seaside.” However, the full band returned to their positions and concluded the night with electrifying performances of “Junk of the Heart” and hit song, “Naive” that left the audience in awe at their midweek getaway.
