| Kill Hannah-Hartford, CT And Allentown, PA- written by Lynn Malpass |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| I'm addicted, I'll admit it. I fell in love with Kill Hannah's sound back in 2002, after hearing only one song by them, I think it was either Sick Boy or Boys and Girls, but whichever, it was their retro 80's undertone that grabbed me and hooked me, me being a product of 80s music and all that (Wow, did I just age myself?). It wasn't until I got to actually see them live that I got fully addicted though, but it was a quick addiction, I'll say that. I was a casual fan and a listener until this past September, when I finally attended my first Kill Hannah show - it was at The Chameleon Club in Lancaster, PA, with The Rasmus and Lostprophets. Ever since then, however, I've slipped quickly into the realm of die-hard fan and supporter of this group of guys from Chicago who write and play some incredibly creative, heartfelt, and yes, addictive tunes. And play every show, too, as if it were their last and as if you are the most important person in the world; to them, I suppose we are. It's evident, too, by how the band will really get into their set, obviously enjoying themselves on stage, and how they feed off the audience's responses. They're an easy band to not only like, but to love and fall in love with, and I'm not at all speaking of the fact that the guys are pretty cute, too. I'm speaking merely on their talent and creativity, the songs they play and the show they put on. It's like a drug. You see them once and you need to see them again. And again. With a combination of raw, yet melodic guitars courtesy of Jon Radtke, Dan Wiese and bassist Greg Corner, expressive drumming provided by touring drummer Elias Mallin, and synth and keyboards to blend everything together giving them that polished finish, really, there isn't much not to like about this band. Add lead singer Mat Devine's standout vocals and hauntingly sensual, almost feminine voice, which is slightly suggestive of perhaps Brian Molko, or maybe Melissa Auf der Maur, and Kill Hannah is one of the few newly popular bands today that has a true freshness about them. In this cookie-cutter music scene where every other mainstream band sounds like the one before, and they all sound like Fall Out Boy and Yellowcard ripoffs, Kill Hannah definitely stands apart. While being reminiscent of the best of the eighties (which has been a major influence to Devine and the other band members in their music) in both sound and appearance, Devine more than a few times being compared to the illustrious Adam Ant due to his military coat and and the stage makeup he wears, Kill Hannah equally bears the youth of today's progressive and modern/glam rock, making them heavy hitters among popular the artists right now. They've managed to create a sweet sound based on English alternative mixed with modern flair, and the result, as this band has matured and shaped itself over the past decade (yes, decade!), definitely comes up an unforgettable winner. As I already mentioned, I was really looking forward to seeing Kill Hannah again after my initiation to this band last September, and that came about this February when I got to see them in Allentown at Crocodile Rock. Kill Hannah was one of the supporting bands for Papa Roach, along with It Dies Today, and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how that show went down. Not that I thought Kill Hannah would not be good, but they were playing to a completely different crowd than they usually do; older fans, for one, and people, mostly guys, who were more into the metal and the hard rock of the other two bands. Well surprise, surprise... they had the place jumping, right from the first song, which was, and has been since the release of their new CD called "Until There's Nothing Left of Us," Intro/Life in the Artic,an instrumental piece that leads into the energetic and hard-hitting tune Believer. They then followed with the first single off the new CD, Lips Like Morphine, which the audience gladly participated in singing out the chorus parts with Devine as he interacted with them. Onto Race the Dream and Love You to Death, keeping things rocking, the band played a bad ass cover of Billy Idol's Rebel Yell, easily revealing the band's influence by and ties to the 80's greats, before closing triumphantly with the song that helped make them, Kennedy. Kill Hannah went over superbly that night despite the fact that most of the people were there to see Papa Roach, and even though their set was short - only 6 songs - I know they made more fans that night with their exuberance and how exceptional they sound on stage, playing songs as if they were right off the CD themselves, their show is so perfected and well-done. Definitely a good performance. Definitely left me hungry for more, yet again. More wasn't too far around the corner as I fed my addiction and grabbed myself a ticket for the show at the Webster Theater, all the way in Hartford, CT, which was a 5-hour drive for me, and I had to take a vacation day from work, (I'm located close to Philadelphia), but we do these kinds of things for bands that we feel are worth if we can, don't we? The added bonus with this show, too, is that Kill Hannah played with 30 Seconds to Mars, one of my other addictions; how could I pass up the chance to see both these bands together? there, Cocaine (We're All Going to Hell), they were really well-received and most of the audience already there at that point apparently knew them. I, personally, was waiting for that one song, since it was the only one that I knew, and they closed with it. It was a good showing for an opening band, I'll give them that much, and they did, indeed, warm the crowd up, but people started getting really crazy once Strata got off stage and Kill Hannah was about to come on. Once the lights dimmed and the first notes of Intro/Life in the Artic sounded the place erupted, and Kill Hannah proudly took the stage for an impressive set. Devine launched the performance once more with Believer and Lips Like Morphine, which have become set staples, then continued into songs like Black Poison Blood, The Songs that Saved My Life, Crazy Angel, Race the Dream, and Love You to Death. They closed with another impressive finale of Kennedy, the band really going all-out, jumping around the stage and playing their hearts out as the crowd cheered and sang with them. My heart was really pumping by this point, and the only bad thing about this moment as the song reached its peak was that I knew it was the last song. Probably one of the best parts about all of my Kill Hannah experiences, however, is the fact that after their performances, the band is typically around, available and accessible, to fans to talk to them, sign merchandise, take pictures... pretty much whatever anyone wants. They come out after their set to watch the other bands, have a drink or two, and then mingle for the rest of the night, sometimes for hours, and you just don't get that as much these days with a lot of bands anymore. The guys in Kill Hannah, they're always there and they want to talk to their fans. They're the nicest, most gracious people you'd ever want to meet, and they're real, which makes it all that much better. Not once have I had the feeling I was wasting someone's time as I've gone around first meeting, then simply talking to the band members as I've gone to repeat performances. They know me a little bit now, as they know a lot of the other die-hard fans; it's really nice to be able to just walk up to one of them after a set and personally thank them and tell them what a great time I was having, and I know for a fact that the band really appreciates the love. It makes it all that much more worthwhile to spend even more money on yet another ticket, or on some merchandise, when you know that your attendance at that show is actually noticed, and for this, along with their superb music, I think Kill Hannah is a band that is definitely attention-worthy to anyone who's never seen them. They're certainly much bigger than they get credit for, and I encourage you all to go out and and support them, and have yourself a really fun time. So I saw Kill Hannah in Lancaster, and then in Allentown, and then once more in Hartford, all in the span of 6 months. Did it sate my appetite, seeing them so many times in such a short time? Some. What it did more, however, was increase my hunger after the fact, so no sooner had I gotten home from Connecticut, I was already looking for where I could catch the show again. I was actually going to fly to Chicago this weekend and then drive to Milwaukee with some people for the last show of the tour before the band breaks and then heads to the UK - but, disappointingly, it's not happening (thank you, US Airways). So here I am writing about them instead, to feed my need to have a little more Kill Hannah in my life. I will definitely be buying myself another ticket after the band returns from England, where they will be playing the Give It A Name Festival among other shows, along with friends HIM, Mindless Self Indulgence and more. Upon returning to the US, the band kicks off another tour in May, this one with Flyleaf, so anyone who hasn't seen them, here's your chance. Go to the Kill Hannah website and start checking those dates. I'll see you all there! |
| February 26, 2007 Crocodile Rock, Allentown, PA & March 21, 2007 The Webster Theater, Hartford, CT |
| x4 |
I have to say, the show at the Webster, it was off the hook,
and even before a single note was played by any band. It
seems the combination of Kill Hannah and 30 Seconds to
Mars is definitely a good one, and that vibe was present all
day long as people waited outside the venue, anxious to see
both of these bands, continuing on through the night's
performances. The bands are friends, too, so maybe there's
hope for a joint tour in the future? The venue was packed to
the gills, having sold out plenty in advance of the show. A
couple of girls having come in time for doors, thinking they
could just buy their tickets at the box office and go in, were
sadly out of luck as the venue began to fill with anxious
fans.
Strata was the opener at that night, and though I only knew
of them from their MySpace and the one song they have on
and even before a single note was played by any band. It
seems the combination of Kill Hannah and 30 Seconds to
Mars is definitely a good one, and that vibe was present all
day long as people waited outside the venue, anxious to see
both of these bands, continuing on through the night's
performances. The bands are friends, too, so maybe there's
hope for a joint tour in the future? The venue was packed to
the gills, having sold out plenty in advance of the show. A
couple of girls having come in time for doors, thinking they
could just buy their tickets at the box office and go in, were
sadly out of luck as the venue began to fill with anxious
fans.
Strata was the opener at that night, and though I only knew
of them from their MySpace and the one song they have on
