Cold War Kids with Husbands at House of Blues Vegas… Rolling In With More 20 Year Tour!

Just one night before the chaotic weekend of emo wonderland at WWWY kicked off, it was time for one more night of indie alternative chill mess at House of Blues. Cold War Kids kicked off their ‘More 20 Years’ tour on October 16th. It was a night many of us have been waiting for, as Vegas hasn’t been fortunate enough to be treated to a Cold War Kids set since Life is Beautiful 2018. This hasn’t stopped our beloved X107.5 from pumping their music through the sin city airwaves almost daily, leaving us all waiting in anticipation for this exact day.

Husbands

Self-described as “landlocked beach pop,” Husbands is an indie surf rock band from Oklahoma City. I was unfamiliar with these guys until this show, but everyone loved how well they set the vibe for this one.

As they played their set, the place radiated with echoing guitars and the reverberation of soft, soothing vocals from singer Danny Davis. If you closed your eyes, you almost felt like you were actually on a beach in Oklahoma. (if that makes any sense)

Husbands has been around since 2014 when they released their debut EP, ‘Achin,’ and has had a very extensive discography since. Their breakout album ‘After the Gold Rush’ came in 2020, and delivered hits like “She’s a Betty” and “Mexico.”

Overall, the band played a really dynamic and awesome sounding set! The music of Husbands is really quite unique, and I’m definitely looking forward to having these guys back in Vegas soon!

Cold War Kids

Cold War Kids has always reminded me of Delta Spirit, but beefier. Naturally, they became an instant favorite of mine because of that, so I was super excited to see how their music would hold up live. And they did NOT disappoint!

Opening their set with the foot-stompin’, piano driven hit “Love Is Mystical,” the five-piece indie alternative group was off and running. Playing hits from all over their many albums, they were able to curate an awesome 22 song setlist that absolutely banged. I always admire when a band or artist sounds just like they do on their records, but I swear these guys sounded even better than that live. Singer Nathan Willet’s voice is just so powerful (and far out of my range as I’ve come to find out in the car.) David Quon shredded his guitar parts, and Matt Maust ripped on bass and kept the energy high with terrific stage presence.

Drummer Joe Plummer was incredibly tight in the back, along with Matthew Schwartz on keys, and the bands entire dynamic just came together very well.

The music was perfectly highlighted by the incredible lighting design on this tour. Tons of big, bright spotlights with beautiful, soft colors ripped through the venue, making it not only good in the ears, but a treat for the eyes as well, as you can tell how much intricate work went in to planning the lighting for both of the bands on this bill.

The set continued with high energy, as Nathan showed off his musicality, playing a variety of instruments including guitar and piano. The 2007 classic, “Hang Me Up to Dry” was planted in the middle of the set, and was accompanied by roars of loud singing from the crowd. We were treated to a two song encore, closing the set with their biggest hit, “First.”

Overall, this was incredible show. Everything from the musicianship, the stage presence, the lighting, and the crowd all came together to make this one of my favorite shows that I’ve attended this year.

Cold War Kids is set to continue this tour through the US until November 16th. Don’t miss their next show near you!