Jenny Lewis, front woman, wows the crowd at an Oct. 5 Warehouse Live show.

Rilo Kiley flirts into spectators' hearts

By: Lauren Weiner

Posted: 10/11/07

Female vocals reigned supreme at the Rilo Kiley show at Warehouse Live on Oct. 5. Frontwoman Jenny Lewis - the indie-rock princess of child-star fame - was preceded by Orenda Fink of Art in Manila and Kristin Gundred of Grand Ole Party, both of whom would join Lewis later singing back-up vocals and playing a variety of fringe instruments.

While Rilo Kiley is more than just a euphemism for "the Jenny Lewis band," the majority of the show was focused and dominated by the red-haired leader. Every time she posed or offered a flirty face to her audience, the crowd surged forward, cheering wildly. Guitarist and sometimes singer (and also, interestingly enough, other former child-star) Blake Sennett hardly received the same reaction.

Although Rilo released their newest album, "Under the Blacklight," in August, the show began with "It's A Hit," the opening track from the band's previous album. Lewis immediately captivated her audience with her skimpy black outfit and gold tights and continued to keep them involved throughout the night.

Lewis' background as an actress shows in her performance. Her facial expressions at times seem contrived; they flitted back and forth between flirtatious grins and painful grimaces. Despite her somewhat artificial presence, Lewis' routine was still incredibly entertaining as she strutted around the stage, sometimes with a guitar, sometimes solo and once with a cowbell, all the while jumping, dancing and clapping.

Rilo's set included an even spread of old and new songs, as well as a few tunes from Lewis's solo side project. The band's new sound is strikingly different from its folkish tunes of the past. The new songs are higher energy and usually reminiscent of 1970s funk with a wide range of influences, including Latin beats. Despite the vast difference in musical style, the flow was not awkward and the songs meshed well.

The subject matter is one of the most interesting things about Rilo's songs. The overlying theme seems to be distorted love. "The Moneymaker," the first single off the new record, is about the pornography industry, with a music video featuring interviews with a few porn stars. Other songs are about topics such as adultery ("Does He Love You?" from "More Adventurous") or promiscuity ("Close Call" also from "Under the Blacklight").

The first opening act, Art in Manila, sounded more like Rilo's first two albums, while the middle act, Grand Ole Party, sounded more like new Rilo. The former's songs were slow-growing tunes that end well but start off so slow that interest is lost. It was a little disappointing, as it should be the opening band's job to set the tone for the night.

Grand Ole Party was surprisingly exciting after a somewhat down first act. Gundred's powerful, jazzy voice spat out fast lyrics while her male guitarist and bassist backed her up with "oohs" and "ahhs." Although they were more or less forced to remain stationary on stage, as Gundred also plays drums as she sings, they were active enough to be enjoyable. The only negative aspect was the fact that Gundred's face was hidden behind her cymbals for the entire show. The band's new record was produced by Rilo's Sennett, and their performance provided an excellent segue into the headliner's set.

Overall, the show was amazing. The connection between Lewis and Sennett and their audience was excellent and the crowd's energy was contagious. While some fans might not enjoy the funky new sound, the cult-like following Rilo Kiley enjoys continues.