Perfect Symmetry

I went to see Keane last Friday night. I posted this review on Ticketmaster.com


"Keane Reward an Enthusiastic Vegas Crowd.

First of all, Fran Healy opened. And he was brilliant as ever. He played some Travis songs, and some of the material from his upcoming solo album. He was modest and funny and it was his birthday! so he could do whatever he wanted, and we loved him for it.

Ingrid Michaelson was new to me, but was very enjoyable. A singer/songwriter with a playful vocal style, and humorous but sweet songs. She bravely led a sing-a-long with a crowd who mostly didn't know her, and pulled it off.

The break before Keane came on was about a half-hour longer than expected. They were having some trouble with their gear. But once they took the stage, an apologetic Tom Chaplin explained the delay and rewarded the audience for sticking with them. He led the crowd in singing great song after great song from their 3 plus albums. Tim Rice-Oxley's dominant piano and added vocals, including lead vocals on Your Love, mated perfectly with Chaplin's passionate singing. I saw them the last time they played House of Blues, on the Hopes and Fears tour, and despite having a lot more material now, they seemed still humbled by the fact that the crowd knew all the songs and sang along. They focused heavily on songs from Perfect Symmetry and Night Train, but played the requisite classics from H&F and a few from Under the Iron Sea. Notable omissions included Lovers are Losing and Spiralling.

House of Blues Las Vegas - Las Vegas , NV - Fri, Jul 23, 2010
Favorite moment: For me it was Perfect Symmetry. And any time Fran Healy spoke to the crowd.

Setlist: (not in order) Stop for a Minute, Back in Time, Clear Skies, Your Love, My Shadow, Somewhere Only We Know, Bedshaped, This is the Last Time, Crystal Ball, Is it any Wonder?, Bend and Break, Bad Dream, Playing Along, Perfect Symmetry (I might have missed one or two)

Opening act(s): Fran Healy of Travis, and Ingrid Michaelson "

One thing I didn't mention in the review, Tom gave some background on what some of the songs were about. As beautiful as they sound, it was interesting to hear how thoughtfully they were written. A nice show altogether. Also I got a few pictures and even some video which was a welcome bonus.