The original Killers lineup came together onstage for the first time in seven years Wednesday evening for the kickoff of their Hot Fuss 20th anniversary residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in their hometown of Las Vegas. It was a nostalgic evening that began with a complete performance of Hot Fuss.
“As you know, a lot of people go to Las Vegas to gamble,” frontman Brandon Flowers told the crowd after opening the night with “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine.” “I’m no exception. I came here from a quiet town in Utah when I was just 16 years old. I had big dreams working as a bus boy right here in Caesar’s Palace. I bet my life on three men who I hardly knew. Some people come to Vegas and lose everything. That’s just the way it goes. But let tonight serve as a reminder. Sometimes it goes the other way, too.”
The group has played for much of the past decade with a greatly expanded lineup of backup singers, keyboardists, and rhythm guitarists. But they stripped down to the original four-man lineup of Flowers, guitarist Dave Keuning, drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr., and bassist Mark Stoermer for the start of the show. Stoermer stepped away from the road in 2016 after suffering hearing damage due to a pyro mishap in London. A year later, Keuning left the touring unit due to burnout on the road.
“Nobody is going to sympathize with me, but physically and mentally, I could not go to the airport and devote myself to two more years of being gone,” Keuning told Rolling Stone in 2021. “I could not do it. I was going crazy. I’m not a big druggie or anything like that, but I get why all the past rock stars did that stuff. I understand it 100 percent because being on the road, you start to get bored. You start to miss home. You miss your family. And what are you going to do all day? I got tired of constantly feeling guilty because I was never home, and I have a son.”
Keuning began playing select gigs with the group again in 2021, but he’s still absent for the majority of their shows. Stoermer, meanwhile, hasn’t played a show with the band since their appearance at the 2019 Vegas Strong benefit. The four of them haven’t appeared together on an album since 2017’s Wonderful Wonderful.
The Hot Fuss anniversary was a chance to bring all four of them back to where it all started. Songs of the first side of the album (“Jenny Was a Friend of Mine,” “Mr. Brightside,” “Smile Like You Mean It,” “Somebody Told Me,” “Smile Like You Mean It”) have been staples of Killers concerts for the past 20 years. But the second side is full of songs that have dropped out of their live rotation. Prior to Wednesday night, they hadn’t done “Change Your Mind” since 2019,” “Believe Me Natalie” since 2018, or “Everything Will Be Alright” since 2005.
As the evening went on, the original Killers quartet were slowly joined by members of the road band. And when the Hot Fuss portion of the show ended, they did an extended encore of later songs like “The Man,” “Caution,” Read My Mind,” and “Human.” The penultimate song was the live premiere of their new single “Bright Lights,” and they wrapped up the evening with “When You Were Young.”
The residency resumes Friday evening and runs through September 1. A North American tour starts six days later, but it’s unclear how many OG Killers will take part in it.