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The Last Shadow Puppets :: Ace Hotel Theater

April 21, 2016

The palpable bromance between Miles Kane and Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner has flourished into their project The Last Shadow Puppets and last night at The Theater at Ace Hotel, the brazen Northern English duo showed their sold out crowd exactly what they’d come to expect. Their set opened with a live string intro and when Kane and Turner emerged, the roar from the crowd seemed loud enough to shake off some of the venue’s art deco accents. Kane and Turner kicked off with “In My Room” from their 2008 album “The Age Of The Understatement” then into “Aviation,” the third single from their new album “Everything You’ve Come To Expect” released in 2015. After 7 years of waiting for a follow up to their debut, devoted fans had done their homework and were able to sing along to all the new tracks, and it would seem their patience was worthwhile.

Over the years, Kane and Turner have changed from shaggy-haired besties into slick-suited charmers (Kane, a bit of a lothario) and their catalog reflects their sophistication. Backed by guitarist Zach Dawes and Tyler Parkford (Mini Mansions), drummer Loren Humprey and a 4-piece string section, The Last Shadow Puppets were able to let loose their particular brand of cinematic Morricone-meets-Bond-sountrack with shredding guitars and sneering metaphors.

Fans were particularly revved up to hear “Separate And Ever Deadly” and “Bad Habits” with Kane screaming into the microphone like a madman. Turner occasionally posed nonchalantly on the monitors and paced the stage platform for the unhinged fans who strayed far from their assigned seats. One interesting thing about The Last Shadow Puppets is Turner’s ability to remain slightly in the background. While he is the main vocal on most of their tracks, The Last Shadow Puppets seems like an outfit where Turner can occasionally step up to the mic and outstretch his arms, but then retreat back as part of the band. Taking a little bit of the single-frontman pressure off, Turner is free to show off a cheekier, dancier self, especially when it is just him and a tambourine. During “Everything You’ve Come to Expect” and “Sweet Dreams, TN” Kane and Turner sauntered around a gushing front row singing, in a strangely macho yet romantic way, songs that sound like both lads have been spending far too much time lounging poolside in LA.

Turner finally took off his retro blazer during main-set-closer “Meeting Place” from their debut – sending the girls (and some guys) into a frenzy and afterward, they were quickly willed back for an encore. A handful of fans in the upper balcony seemed to know what would be coming next as they yelled out “She’s So Heavy!” and Kane delivered it perfectly in tribute to his fellow Liverpudlians. Turner brought us into a dream-state as he serenaded the audience during “The Dream Synopsis” meandering around and somewhat indulging in his sex-symbolism. They closed the night with 2008’s “Standing Next To Me” as Kane and Turner stood spooning and swaying at the microphone together then exited the stage with a little hand-in-hand twirl.

Shot and reviewed for BUZZBANDS.LA

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