The Kooks • March 19, 2024 • The Union Events Center
Reviewed and Photographed by Mike Ferguson
The Union Event Center in Salt Lake City experienced a spectacular celebratory night of indie rock on Tuesday, March 19th, as The Kooks brought their tour for the 18th anniversary of their debut album, Inside In/Inside Out, to Utah. The evening was an unforgettable journey as fans came for a night of fun and great music.
The Union
If you’re unfamiliar with The Union Events Center in downtown Salt Lake City, then I would highly recommend getting familiar with this venue. I have now been to a handful of shows at The Union. Each time I go there, I like it more and more. Being tucked into a residential neighborhood, it can be easily missed. But for avid concertgoers, it’s fun for smaller, more intimate shows. Reminiscent of the old In The Venue, it’s a great setting for any concert.
The Kooks
Right before The Kooks took the stage, I had a chance to chat with some of the fans who had been there at the front of the pit. I quickly gathered that this was a moment that a lot had been waiting a long time for. As the excitement reached its peak, the lights in the venue went dark and the crowd roared! Lead Vocalist, Luke Pritchard took the stage delivering a powerful performance with just him and his guitar for their first song “Seaside”. It was almost emotional to hear just him, the guitar, and 1800+ fans singing along with him. It felt as if we were transported back to the days of 2006 when Inside In/Inside Out first captured hearts around the world.
Throughout the night, the band’s setlist consisted of the majority of the debut album with some newer songs sprinkled in such as “Closer.” Showcasing the timelessness of their debut album, their energy filled the entire venue. Fans danced and sang along to the nostalgic songs. The seamless blend of old and new seemed to resonate with the audience as well. Demonstrating the band’s enduring relevance in the ever-changing landscape of indie rock. And their charismatic stage presence and heartfelt connection with the audience only added to the overall euphoria.
My personal favorite part of the night came with their performance of “Do You Wanna”. As it was here that the rock and roll style combined with long instrumental sections allowed the band to shine as a collective. Taking the focus off of Pritchard and placing it on Hugh Harris on lead guitar and Alexis Nunez on drums. The venue seemed to explode with life and sound.
Their set started at 9:15 pm MDT. I quickly realized that this set was drawing to a close when they played their hit “Junk Of The Heart (Happy)”. The crowd started to feel it as well. However, they did come back to play a two-song encore. Which always makes everyone happy in the end. The encore set opened with “Around Town”, the opening track from their 2014 album Listen. Of course, there was only one song The Kooks could end on. The night ended with a fantastic performance of “Naïve” . You could not help but sing and dance along to it. Receiving a rapturous ovation from the crowd, it was certainly well deserved. I did not want the show to finish. I wasn’t ready. But, I can safely say that next time they’re in town, I will be showing up to see them again!
