On a balmy opening night at Fuji Rock, Killers frontman Brandon Flowers bounded out in his signature tuxedo jacked and had the audience at the Green Stage screaming at full throttle for the band’s early hit “Someone Told Me.”

Many in the crowd mouthed the lyrics intended for a lover spurned and a sort of “look at me know” showmanship that would dominate the 90-minute set. Indeed, Flowers and the band hailing from the great city of Las Vegas were full of showmanship and strut, exhorting the audience to reflect their energy. 

There was a lot at stake for the Killers, who are making their first return to Fuji Rock in 20 years! Their last performance was the third slot at Red Marquee with their debut album, and now they are making a triumphant headline return. 

The Killers have done to stay relevant and top of the charts during this length of time, no doubt for their knack for a catchy hook and breathless vocal performance, which is 100% energy. 
Since their debut album, the band has made reported trips to Japan for their second release and a major performance at Budokan in 2018. Frequent touring in Japan has led them to earn a devoted following.

Prior to the start of the show, fans packed the gated area in front of the stage, making access impossible; crossing from the left side to the right was equally difficult. When the lights came on, the entire stage set was revealed: a large visual backdrop and a singular “K” lit with lightbulbs placed in front of Flowers keyboard.

This visit by The Killers is part of an ongoing “Revel Diamonds Tour” in support of their release last year. Song two was “Enterlude,” which Brandon sang on a synthesizer leading the track to “When You Were Young,” and a tribute to UK rock. 

From here, the band returned to their Americana roots and hometown of Las Vegas with winding bass lines flowing into “Smile Like You Mean It,” the soul tune “Shot At The Night,” which featured a female chorus, and “Run for Cover,” where Brandon shouts at full force without regard for pitch.

One highlight of the show was a young audience member who held up a sign that read “Can I drum?” and when Brandon saw it, he brought the young man from Tokyo, Wateru, up on stage and had him play the drums for “For Reasons Unknown.” 

This sequence of events actually happened six years ago when the Killers were headlining a festival in Glasgow, and Brandon found a sign in the audience that read “Can I drum?” and had the fan play the drums. 

This concert was already more entertaining than we had imagined, but their career has shown that they can end the song with a bang. “A Dustland Fairytale” starts off with a quiet and dramatic melody and develops into a grand pop song in the second half. Their song is an homage to Bruce Springsteen, and “Runaways” had the audience pumping their fists in the air again and again. 

As the show neared the end, the pop dance beat of “Caution” started with a spectacular intro, raising the fans’ excitement to the next level. When the Killers’ played “All These Things That I’ve Done,” a lot of confetti reigned down on the audience. 

The Killers then played three anthems in a row for their encore, with a hyper-groovy bass line and the harmony of the chorus, all of which came together to create a cathartic “The Man” and then space rock “Human.” 

And the last song was the flawless anthem “Mr. Brightside,” a 50-50 version that started with a false beginning that was slower and then cascaded into a full upbeat frantic version that had the crowd jumping and frolicking.