Photo Gallery: The Kills at House of Vans

Brassneck | May 21, 2018

Chicago’s House of Vans has become a viable nightspot in Chicago’s music landscape over the past 15 months since their grand opening in 2017. As part of their Get On Board:A Celebration of Women’s Skateboarding, the shoemaker invited The Kills to their Elizabeth Street HQ.

Accustomed to playing larger clubs and theaters, the American-British duo (augmented here with a drummer and keyboardist) plowed through a frenetic, career overview set. The stoic and sturdy Jamie Hince squeezed impossible sounds from his guitar, which served as the springboard soundtrack for the alway dervish Alison Mosshart. Like Blondie’s Debbie Harry and the Verve’s Richard Ashcroft, Mosshart’s chiseled cheekbones (and her magnificent, in-perpetual-motion golden mane) are one of rock’s better stage accessories.

She used them both-as well as her panther-like, edge of the stage pacing-to great affect during the band’s sweaty, tightly performed 70 minute set.

Words and photos by Curt Baran