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[title]RECOMMENDED: See our complete coverage of Lollapalooza 2013.
The last time there were palm trees. Neon palm trees. When the Killers last headlined Lollapalooza, on the same southernmost stage, the Vegas natives had the stage decorated like the entrance to the Tropicana. Today, the show was all lights, smoke and leather. The foursome came out to the sounds of the Police's "Roxanne," and ripped right into "Mr. Brightside." That's a sign of how successful the band has become. They can now open with that, not have to save it for last. In case you don't believe me, you need only witness the humongous crowd jumping and waving. It was a sea of arms and glow-sticks. From there, the quartet sped into a jumped-up and stripped down version of "Spaceman," still their best hook for my money. Brandon Flowers and co. seemed determined to assert itself as a rock band, on arena proportions. The following tune, "The Way It Was," a melodramatic ballad from Battle Born, an album of melodramatic ballads, was Journey with touches of both Broadway and Springsteen. The tacky stage dressing may have been gone, and the sound came butched up and impeccable, but there's still a casino showman streak in Flowers. He sang "My Kind of Town," as any good panderer would, but a weird fusion with the Doors' "Light My Fire." Bernard Sumner of New Order, the band responsible for the name of the Killers, came out to sing Joy Division's "Shadowplay." Coming soon to the MGM Grand: Cirque de Soliel's Joie?