Why The Killers are still my favorite band ever

I never really gave up on
Breakin’ out of this two-star town
I got the green light, I got a little fight
I’m gonna turn this thing around
Can you read my mind?

The Killers have been my favorite band for over 8 years, since the spring of 2005. I love them so much that it’s difficult to explain why. They’re just… my band. However, I will try my best.

You were standing with your girlfriends in the street.
Falling back on forever, I wonder what you came to be.
I was new in town, the boy with the eager eyes.
I never was a quitter, oblivious to school girls’ lies.
And when I look back on those neon nights,
The leather seat, the passage rite,
I feel the heat, I see the light…

I could say it’s as simple as loving their songs – the lyrics, the melodies, the drums, guitar, and bass. The lyrics sing about universal themes like love, self-discovery, heart-break, and the twinkle-in-the-eye of being a young adult. Their songs are sometimes simple, sometimes grandiose, sometimes silly and cheeky.

But it’s more than that.

Now Cinderella, don’t you go to sleep
It’s such a bitter form of refuge
Oh, don’t you know, the kingdom’s under siege
And everybody needs you

I could say it’s as simple as the timing of when I first started listening to The Killers. I was a few months away from 19, and was discovering a lot of new music during my first year of college. I was living away from home for the first time, and it was fun and scary at the same time, and these songs really spoke to me. They burrowed down into my heart and no other band has been able to shake them loose after over 8 years.

But it’s more than that.

You sit there in your heartache
Waiting on some beautiful boy to
To save you from your old ways
You play forgiveness
Watch it now, here he come

I could say it’s as simple as loving their live shows. Maybe they don’t play super-long sets, and maybe there aren’t fireworks going off every other song, but they seem to play with all their hearts, and the energy is so fulfilling. Watching Brandon transform as a frontman since 2005 has made me smile. And the huge surge of energy when the first chords of When You Were Young ring out is unmatched. I love it.

But it’s more than that.

You better run for the hills before they burn
Listen to the sound of the world
Then watch it turn
I just want to show you what I know
And catch you when the current lets you go

I could say it’s their complete lack of the classic rock band story. They never moved away from their home city, despite the fame. They don’t make crazy demands, they’re always nice to fans and journalists. They’re never photographed by the paparazzi. They don’t win very many awards. They simply work extremely hard to make great, honest records, then tour for a while, then go home and take a break away from the publicity. It’s refreshing.

But it’s more than that.

The truth is, it’s all of this and more. It’s that unexplainable tug, the excitement when a concert ticket arrives in the mail, the anticipation of waiting for a new album, the way my heart seems to heal a little bit when I’ve had a bad day (or a bad month) and I listen to their songs. I just love this band.

We used to look at the stars and confess our dreams,
Hold each other till the morning light.
We used to laugh; now we only fight,
Baby are you lonesome now?

June 22nd, London – Here I come! This will be the 4th country I’ve seen this band in. I can’t wait! Thank you, boys, for 8 years of wonderful memories.