Rilo Kiley came through Boston’s Avalon Ballroom, hoping to give fans a taste of their A game, but wound up delivering a performance that was less than stellar. A lot has changed since Rilo Kiley performed in Beantown last, and the changes within the groups dynamic were evident from the start.
Under the Blacklight is fun and catchy, yet for a band renowned for intricate songcraft and interesting melodies, they have made themselves sound unoriginal and contrived.
Jenny Lewis, The Rilo Kiley front-woman has struggled with her child star-meets-sex symbol status with grace, yet after a summer of opening the big sheds for Coldplay, you knew her star was about to shine brighter. Rabbit Fur Coat reinvents Lewis as a brainy borderline diva, who merges her indie spunk with cozy bygone harmonies.
Contrary to their album title, More Adventurous, Rilo Kiley’s performance was played straight, in true to album form for the sparse Saturday night crowd. Perhaps, a low key warm-up before opening for Coldplay on their national tour.