Deborah Gibson News

Los Angeles heartbreak-rock darlings Rilo Kiley played a raucous, triumphant return home Sunday night to a sold-out crowd at the Wiltern LG. It was an evening of pleasant surprises for fans who wondered whether the indie favorites -- newly bigtime with their latest release distributed by Warner Bros. -- would be able to hold their own in the 2,300-capacity Wiltern, a big step up from the cozy clubs they played in support of their first two records.

The band met the challenge and then some, opening with a forceful "It's a Hit," the appropriately titled song off last year's "More Adventurous" (Brute/Beaute/Warners). It was a night of big, bold sound and impressive instrumentation, rounded out by a couple of horns and frontwoman Jenny Lewis' rich, expansive vocals. The group delivered an astoundingly tight, joyous set -- an impressive show of enthusiasm from a band just off a grueling 41-date North American tour.

There are shows where bands seem to draw their energy from the audience, but this night the oomph emanated from the stage, invigorating a lazy Sunday night crowd. The band seemed to be as happy to be there as anybody in the audience.

The group delivered a mixed set of newer songs and older fan favorites from their 2001 Barsuk debut, "Take Offs and Landings" and their 2002 Saddle Creek follow-up, "The Execution of All Things," that had the young crowd singing along.

Lewis shone from center stage in a gold minidress that would have made Honky-Tonk Barbie jealous, holding the crowd's full attention even when she turned her back to play keyboards. She transitioned with ease from guitar to keyboards to harmonica, even playing guitar over her head during "Hail to Whatever You Found in the Sunlight That Surrounds You."

Guitarist-vocalist Blake Sennet sang only a couple of songs (including the quirky "Adventurous" tune "Ripcord"), fueling rumors that in the transition to a major label, his role as a singer and co-frontperson was being overshadowed by Lewis' sex appeal.

The band kept the chitchat to a minimum until the encore, when Lewis and Sennet gushed about their excitement at being home in Los Angeles and playing such a big venue. The pair dedicated the ballad "Spectacular Views," from "The Execution of All Things," to their fans, playing keyboards side by side under a single spotlight.

Then, in an unexpected blast from the past, they called their friend Deborah Gibson onstage to perform her 1989 hit "Lost in Your Eyes." The former teen queen-turned-Playboy model joined Lewis on keyboards and said to a stunned crowd, "I know, it's random for me too," before working the stage in a black lace minidress.

Openers the Brunettes, of New Zealand, and Canadian singer-songwriter Feist joined Gibson and Rilo Kiley onstage to close the night with yet another ode to the '80s: an ensemble cover of Pete Townshend's "Let My Love Open the Door," with Sennet leading on ukulele.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter