The Kills / JEFF the Brotherhood / Hunters @ Granada Theater, Dallas, TX

It's not very often you come across a band that leaves you wanting more. Much more. But unlike a bunch of bands, this one is comprised of only two members...and a drum machine. The Kills are celebrating their ten years as a group and their career has not been any better than it is right now. With prime slots at Coachella and Lollapalooza, among other worldwide festivals, the band continues to pack venues and attract thousands to their respective festival tent or stage on their decades' worth of material. So it was no surprise that the duo of Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince packed Granada Theater in Dallas, even after packing the very same venue less than a year ago.

Being one of a handful sold shows at Granada Theater, the crowd came in droves early to find prime positioning for the show. And those who showed up early for the openers were in for a treat. Brooklyn's Hunters opened the night with their brand of garage/noise pop. This four-piece warmed up the crowd with a precise, yet raucous performance of songs from their EP, Hands on Fire, and beyond. Isabel Almeida and Derek Watson shared duties at vocals with Almeida releasing her inner Mosshart, with her intriguing stage presence and fierce screams. The band's set featured a handful of short, energy-infused songs that got your feet moving and your head nodding. Though the set was very short, a mere 25 minutes, the band provided a great preview of their punk sound to an accepting, gracious crowd. Judging from the crowd's response, I'm sure we'll be hearing a great deal more from this band. Mark it down.

Following Hunters was a band that has become a staple in the indie rock world, JEFF the Brotherhood. The brothers Orrall, Jake and Jamin, brought their scuzzy, garage rock to the Granada stage to waves of applause. Along with fellow garage rockers Bass Drum of Death and the Black Lips, these guys are loud. With their Nashville-inspired rock, the brothers brought thunderous drums and distortion-filled guitars with force and no mercy. Before catching them at last year's BroFest, I had heard plenty of these guys but had not really heard these guys. And with this duo, they are best served live and loud. Their songs translate so well with the amount of energy they put into them, producing levels that are probably damaging but sound so good when created. Playing a set just over 45 minutes, the band blazed through a set of songs that only got the crowd more amped and ready. It wouldn't surprise me one of these days, they'll be headlining a show like this.

With a packed house at Granada and both opening acts finished, there was only one more item on the menu: the Kills. Strutting on stage in front of a leopard-print backdrop, Mosshart and Hince embraced the crowd, hit a couple buttons on the drum machine, and proceeded into "No Wow". It didn't take long for the crowd to embrace them back. Technically, there isn't anything gaudy or flashy about a Kills' show but the music and intensity of the performance make up for it ten-fold. When Mosshart isn't entranced into a song's lyrics, she paces the stage like a caged animal while Hince stands stoically, hitting his guitar notes with precision and force. Outside of the drum machine, the band employed a couple 'backup percussionists' who not only amplified of the drum machine's sound but also provide a little choreography to their routine. While most of the set was a sweaty mess of rock goodness, the show did have its share of downtime with songs like "Crazy", a Patsy Cline cover, and the show-stopping "The Last Goodbye". Performing just under two hours, the band left it all on the stage, providing nothing but a good time to the Granada faithful. And having seen the band less than a year ago, I could only think to myself, "I can't wait to see them again." Pictures and videos of the show are below:

Hunters