The Killers peform in Rebel Diamonds Tour in New York City, 9/14/24

Review by Leandro Vizozo Carranza – 

 Over the summer, rock band The Killers began their Rebel Diamonds Tour, finding themselves in Forest Hills Stadium on September 14th, 2024. The tour followed the release of the greatest hits compilation Rebel Diamonds; It also celebrated the 20th anniversary of the band’s debut album, Hot Fuss, which gave us tracks like “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me.”

The Nevadan group consists of lead singer Brandon Flowers, guitarist Dave Keuning, percussionist Ronnie Vannucci Jr., and bassist Mark Stoermer. Stoermer, having been on hiatus, did not join them on this tour.

I had the pleasure of seeing The Killers during their Imploding the Mirage tour in 2022. Having seen them live twice now, I firmly believe that their live performances somehow outshine their already amazing studio recordings.

Supporting acts Soft Echo and Robert Loud both managed to captivate the audience during their performances, with us in the pit dancing along to their music. Soft Echo, stylized as ((softecho)), enchanted me with their shoegaze style and a few humorous interactions with the crowd. An excited girl directly behind me even managed to catch one of the drumsticks thrown out at the conclusion of their set! 

Robert Loud, who is used to performing alongside The Killers as their touring guitarist, also won the crowd’s hearts. I’ve had “Something Missing” stuck in my head since the show! From the moment The Killers stepped on stage, to the moment they left, the audience’s attention was entirely theirs. They opened with their latest release, “Bright Lights,” which serves as an homage to the band’s Las Vegas roots.

Flowers is a master when it comes to having a strong stage presence, never staying in one place as he belts out lyric after lyric, jumping onto platforms to get closer to his fans. He was extremely interactive, getting us to wave our arms in sync with his during the incredibly

catchy splash of pop that is “Shot in the Night,” or showering the crowd with faux dollar bills during “The Man.” 

Yet perhaps the most pleasant moment of the night was the surprise cover of The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” which Flowers announced as a tribute to the Fab Four’s Forest Hills shows in 1964, saying “We thought we’d pay our respects.” With his range and vocal ability, Flowers easily did the song justice, and the whole stadium erupted in a unified sing-along of the beloved 60’s classic.

I was over the moon to hear some of my favorite songs live again, including tracks like “On Top,” but also to partake in surreal moments such as shouting the iconic “I got soul but I’m not a soldier” line with a crowd of 13,000 people. Flowers even got us to revisit the chant at the end of “Mr. Brightside,” serving as the perfect conclusion to an unforgettable night.