Rilo Kiley Live at The Electric Factory

by Liz Kantner in Concert Reviews, Uncategorized, bands to watch

Thursday night Rilo Kiley played at The Electric Factory in Philadelphia with Benji Hughes and Thao and the Get Down Stay Down. Rilo Kiley is one of my favorite bands and I have been listening to them for years, but this was the first chance I’ve had to see them live. Despite the tickets being a bit pricey, it ended up being one of the greatest concerts I have ever been to.

I waited in line for about an hour, and then waited another hour waiting for the show to begin. The Electric Factory is a large venue with standing room only except for the second floor which has a bar. Benji Hughes played first. They are a 70′s wanna band that did not impress me in the slightest. While their sound was alright, their lead singer was wasted out of his mind. After their set was finally over, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down came on. They were very good. The lead singer Thao has a fun and quirky personality. The lead guitarist cracked a few jokes as well. They have a lot of very catchy songs.  ’Bag of Hammers’ off of their new album ‘We Brave Bee Stings and All’ is an awesome song.

When Rilo Kiley came on they started off with ‘Close Call’ and followed with three more songs from their newest album, Under the Black Light, which you should definitely check out. Jenny Lewis, the lead singer, and Blake Sennett, the lead guitarist, have an amazing stage presence. Next they played ‘Hail to Whatever You Found in the Sunlight That Surrounds You’ and then transitioned into ‘It’s a Hit.’ The transition was awesome and flawless. After that they played ripcord and then as expected they played ‘With Arms Outstretched,’ which they play at every show.  Jenny Lewis tried hard to make a connection with the audience and took requests. They next played ‘Silver Lining’ and ended with ‘I Never.’ Rilo Kiley came back on for an encore and played ‘A Better Son/Daughter.’ They ended their encore with ‘Portions For Foxes’ which is definitely one of their most popular songs.

This concert was their second time in Philadelphia promoting ‘Under the Blacklight,’ so they weren’t pushing the album as much and played a lot of older songs. Overall it was an amazing concert. It definitely confirmed my love for the band and I would definitely go see them live again.