By John Johnson, photos by Chaz Dykes of Chaz D Photography

When I initially heard that Kings of Leon were scheduled to play at the Benchmark on the same day as the Gasparilla “adult” Parade, I was a little taken aback. I mean, what were the bands promoters thinking? Or maybe it was just a lapse in judgement on someone at the cities commission level due to a tad too much rum. Some of the demographic that would attend Tampa’s largest street party are definitely in line with Kings of Leon fans, but for the most part I think those two groups differ. And even if I am mistaken in that assumption, I feel the demo would have to decide on which event to attend on such a chilly day. I was one that had to make that decision. I’m a Tampa native, so Gasparilla is in my blood (60 plus times), however I opted to see Kings of Leon instead of day drinking as Jack Sparrow (again).

We pulled off of 275, headed south towards the arena and slid right into a parking garage with minimal, if not non-existent, issues regarding pirate revelers. Maybe it was partially due to the fact that it was in the low 30’s, and all the bead-whores had all scattered to warmer, in door celebrating. For the record, Bead Whore is a native Tampa term that really doesn’t need explanation and is not a gender specific term, so relax. I have witnessed, those sixty plus times, the things that part-time pirates will do for multicolored balls of plastic and it’s quite alarming, and downright awesome at times. After the brisk walk to the Benchmark, it for sure felt more like the Ice Palace than ever, we strolled through an almost empty Thunder Alley. For a moment I was concerned for the Kings and what felt like a low attendance nightmare ahead as we walked up the stairs with only a few dozen folks. Once inside, however, my worries were squashed as we discovered this is where everyone was hiding from the cold.

The already nearly packed house confirmed my belief that most in attendance had NOT been swashbuckling all day. Don’t get me wrong, there were absolutely some spill over from the days festivities for sure. Several dozen gals scantily clad in pirate garb and a few guys staggering around with eye patches pulled up to their foreheads, with both groups sporting a few pounds of obligatory beads atop their shoulders. Regardless of demeanor or dress code, we were all there to enjoy Kings of Leon.

The night kicked off with indie-folk trio Hudson Freeman from Brooklyn. Standup bass, drum kit and Hudson himself on acoustic guitar and vocals. It was probably his song “If you know me” that blew up on the internet last November that got him the supporting gig for Kings. It’s a sleepy little ditty, like the majority of his songs, but definitely has an infectious riff. He included a haunting cover of “Wild Horses” in his set that deserves a listen. He and his boys were a suitable opener for KoL and the thawing crowd welcomed them with open ears. The biggest applause for the group came when the 27 year old sheepishly admitted that this was his “first arena show”. Freeman, turned sideways as unable to face such a large congregation, also mentioned how surprising it was to see this many people already in their seats. “It’s probably because it’s so cold out.” He probably wan’t wrong.

Typically there’s not a ton of time between acts, but it seemed like all were getting a little restless for the headliner. The restlessness was only for a moment however, for when the Kings of Leon hit the stage at 8:15, the place snapped into full attention. There’s something about seeing a band that’s been around this long still look genuinely locked in, and from the first song “Bucket”, it was clear they weren’t coasting. The jangly guitars rang out big and welcomingly warm in the arena as the moved right into “Taper Jean Girl”. One of the most original and recognizable voices of the last 20 years, in my opinion anyway, Caleb Followill’s vocals carrie that familiar mix of swagger and vulnerability. Sharing guitar duties with his cousin Matthew Followill, and a third player I didn’t recognize but certainly blended right with the kin. Rumor has it that the three Followill brothers from Tennessee, all in the band, “kidnapped” their cousin Matthew from Mississippi in 2002 and the rest is musical history. Nathan Followill, on drums, must have gotten some radial keratotomy or the like, because he no longer wears his, until now, trademark thick rimmed spectacles. Vision or not, I find Nathan’s drumming to be stylish and near metronomic, even when syncopation is intentionally off on songs like “On Call”, “Manhattan” and “Four Kicks”. The long tressed sibling has always seemed to be quite the character, even blowing the occasional bubble from behind his kit. On bass guitar is the taller bro Jared, with pinup good looks and chill disposition.

The band moved easily through their catalog, blending newer material with the songs everyone came for, the ones that instantly turned the crowd into a singalong choir. Their tunes are similar to the band U2’s in a lot of respects I noticed, as simple “oohs” “ah’s” and various chants and orations, almost organically become the moments for immense audience participation. The big screen video filter, laser effects and well timed lighting accentuated the performance but never felt like they were replacing what the band wanted us to experience, which was the music. They could have easily, and simply just arrived in Tampa, performed the show as if it were a greatest hits gig and we would have been satisfied. But no thankfully, they played as if they still have something to prove and more importantly they really seem to be having fun. Not the running around the stage, obnoxious bantering or over-indulgent solos kind of fun. But more the kind of fun when you’re good at what you do and others appreciate you for sharing your gift. The Followills and company seemed to be having a good time, even if often times somewhat stoically, and it’s evident.

“I heard it was Gasparilla, they told us there’d be pirates” Caleb quipped. The talented brood from Mount Juliet have never really been known for flashy attire so it might have gone unnoticed that their clothing looked disheveled had Caleb not called it out. “The power went out on all of us last week, so our clothes are pretty dirty”. What hadn’t gone unnoticed on the groups part was the current climate, as he added sarcastically “Thanks for welcoming us with such warm weather.” The performance felt effortless, like they all knew when to let things stretch out and when to hit hard. Other standouts from the 23 song setlist were, the quirky “Molly Chambers”, edgy “Mustang”, bass driven “My Party”, anthemic “Use Somebody” and my personal fave “Closer”. The obligatory encore consisted of the newer “To Space”, the seemingly personal “Knocked Up” and wrapping with the bands biggest hit “Sex on Fire”, bringing the evening to magnificent fruition.

By the time the lights came up, Benchmark Arena felt wrung out in the best possible way. Kings of Leon delivered a set that balanced polish with raw energy. Tampa on Gasparilla day is already a spectacle, but Kings of Leon supplied a soundtrack to its end credits. No Gaspar gala fomo here, the Followill’s followed through with a show that I’ll remember for a long time.

Now, Go Out and See, Hear and Feel Live Music.