KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas. So glad I snagged a ticket for this. It was well worth the $90.
Imagine Dragons. I've heard the album and thought they were nice enough however live, they were much better. The extra percussion makes their music heavier live than on record which I really liked.
Alex Clare followed and was a big ball of meh. Just a generic pop-rock act where every song sounds alike. He also did a cover of "When Doves Cry" in that style.
Of Monsters and Men were very good despite sound issues their entire set. There was some wonky radio traffic over the PA. They took it in stride and the crowd really loved it.
Grouplove played a solid set. It was the 4th time I'd seen them this year, so it was a little stale for me. Thought they had better energy than 2 weeks ago opening for No Doubt.
After them was Passion Pit. I'd heard very mixed reviews on them live. However, I enjoyed it. I understand where Michael's vocals can be polarizing, but I loved them. They too had some minor sound issues, but by the end they seemed to have been fixed.
Neon Trees. Yeah. The best part of the set was when the lead singer let it slip there was a surprise guest later. Oh and I liked the leather jacket he had on at the beginning. Otherwise, still not a fan. And sorry Mofo, they didn't let me bring in a musket to take care of them.
M83 were on next. And holy shit they were incredible. Up until last night, I'd missed every chance I'd had to see them, which was frustrating, so they were one of the big reasons I picked up a ticket for this. The soundscapes they create live are stunning. That combined with their celestial themed visuals made their set entrancing. I really need to see them at their own show with a crowd that knows more than just Midnight City (which I love, but still).
.fun followed M83 and as always put on a good show. The expected sing alongs for We are Young and Some Nights were great. I also really love Carry On live.
Surprise Guest! No Doubt: I've loved them since I was in college, and they still put on a hell of a good live show. Gwen, who has the best abs I've ever seen, is still as energetic as ever. The crowd went ballistic as expected and they tore through 8 songs in a short amount of time.
Jack White: In typical Jack fashion he started playing before they introduced him with the stage not having turned yet. He played with the all male band and just torched every song he played. It was an unusual setlist for a radio show, as he played Top Yourself and I Cut Like a Buffalo and only 2 songs off of Blunderbuss. Still it was a great set, better than the one I saw at Outside Lands.
The Killers played for an hour and were very, very good. Setlist was hits, plus two tracks from Battle Born. Opened with Mr. Brightside. Thankfully, for me, they didn't play Dustland Fairytale. Brandon sounds great and seemed to really enjoy the set. He was especially happy when the metallic confetti was released.
So, 6 and a half hours of mostly good music. Thank goodness for earplugs and caffeine. This was far and away the best KROQ show I've attended.