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Cold War Kids: Concert Review and Photos

By Laura Aguirre

Everyone is good at something. For Long Beach’s Cold War Kids it is the way they tell stories live. It’s not just the sound of lead singer Nathan Willet’s angelic voice, or the way Matt Maust parades his playful dance moves while strumming the cords on his bass: their magic is in the words.

Over the past decade the ‘kids’ have made a name for themselves in the coveted world of indie rock. Despite their popularity level, the CWK played an emotional sold-out show at the Wiltern Friday night.

Fresh off their latest EP, Behave Yourself, the Cold War Kids attracted LA fans with new songs such as “Audience” and “Santa Ana Winds,” but it was songs from their two previous albums, Robbers & Cowards and Loyalty to Loyalty, that dominated the night.

It was an hour and twenty-one minutes of marvelous story telling. Opener “I’ve Seen Enough” offered heavy beats and simple lyrics which made it easy for the audience to sing and dance along. The Cold War Kids played a decent amount of old and new material, but even after two full-length albums and countless EPs, “Hang Me Up To Dry” and “Something Is Not Right With Me” are still the biggest crowd-pleasers.

The CWK’s performance was one of the best yet. The cherry on top of the cake was a 10-minute cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Long As I Can See the Light.”

There’s nothing like seeing the CWK live. If you’re not a fan of their ‘international blues’ kind-of music, be sure to catch them the next time they’re in LA. Everyone loves a good story told right and the CWK are experts when it comes to that.

Cold War Kids’ Set List – January 22, 2010 at The Wiltern: