Brandon Flowers performed at the Red Butte Garden & Arboretum Outdoor Concert Series on September 11, a last minute addition to its sprawling just-wrapped schedule. And considering he dropped a solo album only the month before — Thrasher, his most countrified stab yet — tickets disappeared immediately. It followed a two-night sold out run just weeks before at The State Room.
A new album, a new genre, deep roots in Utah: all of it reached fever pitch exceptionally quickly. To add to that, at least one headline pointed out that Flowers said he didn’t know if he was so committed to creating music anymore. He was quoted as saying perhaps it was his time to hang it up for good and call it a day. Funny thing is, nothing about his Red Butte show pointed to that kind of a notion. If nothing else, he proved throughout that he’s got plenty left in the proverbial performing tank. And he’s learned a lot of tricks as a showman, ways to force you to want to watch and want to listen.
Photos courtesy of Rob Loud
Maybe it’s because he spent his beginning years in Vegas, but the concert felt like a larger-than-life presentation, one that might even belong on the Strip. In addition to unveiling a lot of songs most were probably hearing for the first time — eight of the 20 performed were off his latest Thrasher — he told stories about his childhood, about his father’s love for country music, sprinkled in songs by the Killers to everyone’s delight, and even pulled his guitar-playing son up onstage for an Oasis cover (and “Don’t Look Back in Anger” holds up after all this time). It felt compelling and exciting, not unlike witnessing Bruce Springsteen in his far-younger years.
No, Flowers isn’t going anywhere. If nothing else, his concert was proof of his staying power and how much his true blue fans enjoy what surprises he still has to share.
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