Every generation has its notable musical duos. Whether it be The Everly Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel, Milli Vanilli, The White Stripes (or somewhere in between), the two-person group is one of the most difficult things to pull of in modern music. Last night at First Avenue, The Kills tossed out a giant middle finger to that notion as they commanded the sold-out Minneapolis crowd with a near 90 minute barrage of punkish energy mixed with bluesy sophistication. Never did being a duo seem so simple, but Alison Mosshart & Jamie Hince did exactly that, while at the same time exuding a confident "this is how you perform" aura.
Opening with "No Wow" which brought many a 'wow' from the capacity crowd, The Kills were welcomely in our face but eased into our ears (which was very much appreciated after Cold Cave's, um, loud opening set). After they continued with the rocking "Kissy Kissy," the duo jumped into their most recent work, Blood Pressures, head on. "Heart is a Beating Drum" and "Future Stars Slow" were heard back to back, while Mosshart & Hince seductively scanned the the audience with entrancing eyes. Mosshart flailed back-and-forth wildly, her jet black hair whipping through the cold blue lights as her hilarious Paddy Costello-emblazoned tee seemed to get equal attention.
Soon after, they got into their current single, "Satellite," which was given a jolt of live energy, something the album version can never live up to. The real treat during the early night show for me, though, was the excellent rendition of "Baby Says," easily my favorite song on the new disc (and the most perfectly reimagined of their live set). Mosshart paced along the stage, brushed her hair back and spit a few times (which, yeah, she can make sexy), all while somehow sounding innocent and empowering at the same time. As they quickly got into the main set closer "Sour Cherry" a few songs later, not a single sweaty soul in the club had eyes for anyone but Mosshart.
After a brief break, the two stepped back onstage for a breather of an encore opener, "The Last Goodbye," which allowed Mosshart to showcase her chops (and her hair some more). This would've been a perfect closer, but alas, they had more. "Pots & Pans" was especially epic, but it was "Fried My Little Brains" that put the proverbial cork in the night. Hince & Mosshart bounded spastically as the clamoring crowd urged on every note, every movement. Seeing two performers of this stature destroy the conventional thinking of duos so painlessly was truly a sight (and sound) to enjoy.
