Rilo Kiley Leaves Fans Wanting More

By Patrick Ferrucci
Register Entertainment Editor

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — If the persistent rumors about California's Rilo Kiley are true, and that this is the quartet's final tour, then at least the group is going out with the proverbial bang.

Unlike the first leg of Rilo Kiley's "Under the Blacklight" tour, the band was in fine spirits Sunday night at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton, joking with the crowd and each other.

But the other big difference from that first leg and this short jaunt was the length of the set. The shows RK performed in Boston and New York less than six months ago topped 90 minutes, before encores, while Sunday night's gig lasted 63 minutes, and only included 14 pre-encore tunes from the band's last three studio discs: 2007's "Under the Blacklight," 2004's "More Adventurous" and 2002's "The Execution of All Things."

While Rilo Kiley's profile has certainly been raised since the release of "More Adventurous," the group's two main songwriter's, multi/instrumentalist and singer Jenny Lewis and guitarist/singer Blake Sennet, have both become almost as popular for their side projects, which include Lewis' work with the Watson Twins and Sennet's two discs with The Elected. This, and the lack of interaction between group members on the first leg of this tour have created persistent rumors that "Blacklight" would be RK's last record.

But if that's true, fans didn't seem to care when the band took the stage just after 10 p.m. and immediately jumped into a three-song spurt from the new record, hitting the rocking "Close Call," the strip-club-ready "The Moneymaker" and the Fleetwood Mac-esque "Dreamworld." With the majority of the crowd on its feet, the band said its hellos and then moved right into the audience favorite "Capturing Moods" from "Execution."

It was the beginning of an evening that saw Rilo Kiley ignore its sophomore album, "Take-Offs and Landings," which the band usually plays a couple tunes from. While clearly pushing "Blacklight," the quartet, which was joined by one multi-instrumentalist this time around, played an almost equal amount from both "Adventurous" and "Execution."

Not one moment was a downer, though, and the crowd was into the show, screaming, clapping and singing along, during the entirety of the set. But when folks are paying upwards of $25 for a seat, you'd think they'd get at least a 90-minute set, something Rilo Kiley usually delivers. Nowhere in the concert were crowd-pleasers like "Pictures of Success," "The Execution of All Things," "Paint's Peeling," "My Slumbering Heart" or "Love and War."

A three-song mini set in the middle of the show featuring just Lewis and Sennet gave the fans a look at back at the beginnings of the band, which the duo formed in the late '90s after leaving their careers as child actors. A fiery encore also sounded great, but why not perform a complete version of "Spectacular Views," instead of only playing it as an outro to "Portions for Foxes"?

But it seems the old show-business adage to always leave them wanting more was in effect, and if Sunday was part of Rilo Kiley's final tour, then there's no doubt it did that, leaving the Northampton crowd on its feet awaiting a second encore that never came.

Setlist:
1. Close Call / 2. The Moneymaker / 3. Dreamworld / 4. Capturing Moods / 5. Breakin' Up / 6. Does He Love You? / 7. Ripchord / 8. The Absence of God / 9. With Arms Outstretched / 10. Hail to Whatever You Found in the Sunlight That Surrounds You / 11. It's a Hit / 12. A Better Son/Daughter / 13. Silver Lining / 14. I Never.

Encore:
1. Fifteen / 2. Portions For Foxes / 3. Spectacular Views.