The Kooks at the House of Blues San Diego

The Kooks kicked off their U.S. tour at the House of Blues San Diego in grand style with the help of The Morning Benders. I was excited to see the bands in action again as I previously reviewed and enjoyed both bands at the Troubadour and Echo.

The Morning Benders






After recently catching their successful record release party at the Echo, I was curious to see how The Morning Benders would fare in front of a larger audience thirsty for the Kooks. The Morning Benders quenched the thirst of the audience with a hearty selection of tunes from Talking Through Tin Cans. The House of Blues soundsystem was in perfect tune with The Morning Benders as the mix was simply majestic. "Crosseyed" had a slower then usual intro before quickly picking up speed. The Rhoades keyboard was loud and clear for a bouncy version of "Boarded Doors". I heard some girls behind me debating about which band member was cuter during "Grain of Salt". The Morning Benders breezed through their set like touring veterans, as I felt sorry for their merch guy who was swamped at the end of their set. The snowball effect continues to amplify the buzz for the Morning Benders.

The Kooks






It didn't take long for the chants of "The Kooks" to start from the balcony of the House of Blues. It started to feel like a sold out show as the floor was completely packed and the crowd was anxiously waiting. The slashing chords of "Always Where I Need To Be" kicked of their set as the crowd started jumping up and down near the front of the stage. Luke Pritchard (Vocals/Guitars) was thoroughly enjoying the larger stage as he often walked back and forth while dancing around. The Kooks wisely arranged their setlist by alternating new and old songs into the mix. Hugh Harris (Guitars) had his trusty Gibson hollowbody guitar firing on all cylinders as he demonstrated his advanced guitar wisdom. Luke switched to an acoustic guitar for a lush version of "Sway" from their new album Konk. Luke dedicated "See The Sun" to a trio of girls up in the balcony as all three were wearing matching new Kooks shirts. Paul Garred (Drums) was a madman behind his drum kit with cymbals consistently moving. Hugh also impressed me when he went behind the keyboards for "Shine" as their roadie filled in with some acoustic guitar. Luke came back out by himself with an acoustic guitar as he tackled "Seaside" and "Jackie Big Tits" to the delight of the crowd. I was glad I had a ticket to the next night at the Wiltern.

The Kooks setlist at the House of Blues San Diego
"Always Where I Need To Be"
"Matchbox"
"Eddie's Gun"
"Ooh La"
"Time Awaits"
"One Last Time"
"I Want You"
"She Moves In Her Own Way"
"Mr. Maker"
"See The Sun"
"Do You Wanna"
"Naive"
"Shine On"
"See The World"
"You Don't Love Me"
"Seaside"
"Jackie Big Tits"
"Stormy Weather"
"Sofa Song"