Things Got Wild n' Rowdy Saturday Night at Knickerbockers!

By Yours Truly, Audrey Kay

As much as I LOVE Omaha and the music scene, sometimes it's just a nice change of pace to get the hell out of here. I was definitely looking forward to seeing the Killigans. It was my first time and I have heard nothing but awesome things about these guys, and since my boys in the Filter Kings (they NEVER fail to ensure a good time) were playing alongside them that night I was pretty convinced it would be a good night. Turned out to be much more than a good night…it was an AWESOME night, and am now a very devoted fan to the Killigans.

The night started out great. I got an amazing parking spot, and as many people as there were, the bartender got my beer pretty damn fast, which scored Knickerbockers major brownie points in my book. The bar's setup is pretty unique. The bar area is completely separated from the stage area, which is good for people who still want to hear the music, but can go somewhere to sit, drink, and have a conversation without having to scream over the volume. I am surprised at how big Knickerbockers really is inside. The bar could have easily fit at least a hundred and fifty people, if not more. All in all it is an awesome music venue, which caters to everyone, whether you are just going to listen to some music and hang out with friends, or get up close to the stage and have your eardrums blown. The one thing I was pretty shocked about is at closing time the bouncers had the nerve to tell some of the band members to hurry up and finish their drinks and get going. Um, hello…the BANDS are the reason why you have as much business as you do tonight. My advice would be to let bands do whatever the hell they want…they pretty much deserve it. Besides a couple of douche bag bouncers, Knickerbockers has my vote of approval.

I came right after the opening band, the BottleRockets, finished. Which kind of sucked, because I would have liked to hear them play. I did overhear good things and am sure they did a great job getting the crowd hyped up. I had a few minutes to grab a drink and say hello to a few people before the Filter Kings went on. I never get tired of seeing these guys. The only problem is that they put me in serious beer-drinking mode, and when you're SUPPOSED to be the designated driver, that's not a great combination. It is awesome seeing all the people in the crowd getting drunk, dancing crazy, and having the best time ever (I, of course, am among these people). After all, that's what these guys are all about, and I'm sure they're very proud to see their audience going wild and letting loose while playing.

A few cigarettes later, and a tad tipsy, The Killigans take the stage, and the fun really started. It felt like I was at a huge keg party, but ten times better. I love to be close up front, and learned to never wear something you would mind getting ruined. With all the moshing, I could have won a wet t-shirt contest with how soaked in beer I was. Lucky I am definitely not the type of girl to get angry about that stuff. I just laugh and join right in with the crowd. At a Killigans show you see all types of people, young and old, because their music incorporates all different styles, from Celtic to punk rock. They even have an accordion! All around, a crazy, drunk hell of a good time. If you've never seen these guys play, if you don't mind slipping and sliding on a Jack Daniel's-covered floor, and if you want to hear some hell-raising, high-voltage tunes. I highly recommend you DO NOT miss The Killigans show this Friday, January 29th at The Slowdown to celebrate their newest CD release “Honor”! Opening for them will be the Cave Kids and Parting Shot. Doors open at 8pm, show's at 9pm and only costs a small seven bucks! Bring a friend and have a damn good night!

Want a preview? Hear some of their tunes, add them to your friends list at http://myspace.com/thekilligans, get to know the band a little, and buy one of their older albums at http://thekilligans.com.

See you there!

Audrey xxx

Killigans Links:
http://myspace.com/thekilligans
http://thekilligans.com

1.27.10