Overseas, the brothers (and cousin) Followill are the rock gods known as Kings of Leon, selling out night after night in venues all over Europe and constantly gracing the cover of British tabloids.

However, as much as critics in the United States have heralded these Tennessee boys, the Kings hadn’t received mass attention until this year, when they released their album Aha Shake Heartbreak and also landed the opening slot for a little band named U2.

When the band came tumbling through Atlanta on Friday, they lived up to every aspect of their Southern chain-smokin’, lady-lovin’, nasty-rockin’ reputations, which started as they staggered into the Coca Cola Roxy wearing their sleep clothes and disheveled hair for a 99X Live X right after they had just woken up….at 5:30pm.

Following an energetic, fast-paced show from fellow Tennessee rockers The Features, the sold out crowd was ready for a Southern rock massacre from the Kings of Leon; and the band did not disappoint the rowdy Atlanta fans when they opened their set with “Molly’s Chambers,” the well-known single off of their last album Youth and Young Manhood.

There’s an undeniable something about the Kings of Leon that is absent in most bands today. Whether it is their intriguing Southern gothic history or their unabashed after show exploits, perhaps this unidentifiable characteristic is what makes them one of the biggest and well-received rock bands right now. With drummer Nathan being the oldest at 25 and bassist Jared the youngest at 18 years old, the Kings have developed an air of confidence and rock n roll far beyond their years.

The band’s electric set transformed the crowd into a foot stomping, fist pumping frenzy as they shamelessly divulged their tales of long nights, sexual encounters, and too much alcohol. The show included a strong mixture of songs from both of their albums, including the current single “The Bucket,” the Strokes-esque “California Waiting,” and “Taper Jean Girl,” where frontman Caleb Followill describes a life of “heartbreak, cigarettes and songs, with a winter’s chafe.”

Kings of Leon enthralled the audience through their determination and attitude-filled music with an underlying sense of flippancy. They came with the mentality that everyone jammed in the venue was there to see them, and fuck everyone who didn’t want to listen.

Excited to be back in the South, Caleb exclaimed, “We hate labels, but since we are in Atlanta, I’ll just say it…We’re fucking Southern rock!” which was followed by an uproar of support from the crowd, along with the drunk (or asshole) that couldn’t refrain from screaming, “Sweet Home Alabama!”

But thank God he did because the group, visibly pissed off, burst into a scorching, jaw-dropping rendition of their slow-building rocker “Trani” with so much passion and fiery indignation that left everyone in awe.

The band returned for their encore with a sense of vindication, got the crowd dancing through “Spiral Staircase,” and ended with the brief yet catchy “Head to Toe,” a B-side to their upcoming single “Four Kicks.”

Kings of Leon conquered Atlanta and did not fall short of their notoriety. The night ended perfectly as the boys quietly slipped out the Roxy’s back door and stumbled through the Buckhead streets, equipped with admiring girls on each arm and the absolute confidence that their night in our city would have a happy ending.

www.kingsofleon.com | www.thefeatures.com

Kings of Leon Photos: (click to enlarge photo)
Taken by Angeline Vuong

Images copyright Atlanta Music Guide and may not be used without explicit permission.