The Kooks, Vic Theatre, Chicago, Illinois

Though they have been on the scene for nearly a decade, I only started listening to The Kooks in the month or so leading up to their visit to the Vic Theatre. They made an appearance at Lollapalooza 2014, but I preferred to see Swedish indie pop singer Lykke Li, a decision about which I have no regrets. The band currently consists of Luke Pritchard (vocals/guitar), Hugh Harris (lead guitar/synth), Alexis Nunez (drums), and Peter Denton (bass guitar). Their English roots bleed through into many of their songs. This includes Luke Pritchard’s accent as well as their broader sound, which is heavily influenced by the British Invasion pop of the 1960s.

We arrived about 9:15pm to find that The Kooks had already taken the stage, about 15 minutes early, and were midway through their first song. We stayed towards the back of the venue, sacrificing a great view for freedom of movement. Their setlist included a mix of sounds from all four of their albums, including six from Inside In/Inside Out (2006), three from Konk (2008), two from Junk of the Heart (2011), and nine from Listen (2014).

Setlist:
Around Town
Ooh La
Bad Habit
Down
It Was London
She Moves in Her Own Way
Eddie's Gun
Dreams
Seaside
Westside
Always Where I Need to Be
Is It Me?
Sway
See the Sun
Sweet Emotion
Sofa Song
Forgive & Forget
Encore:
See Me Now
Junk of the Heart (Happy)
Naïve