Some would say the Kings of Leon never went away; others would argue the band is just coming back, and now some fans are simply crying in a corner.
Recently, it was announced that the Nashville-based radio-friendly rockers canceled two weeks of shows so drummer Nathan Followill can recover from an accident. After a gig in Boston, the band's tour bus had to stop short to avoid a pedestrian, and that left Nathan with a broken rib. West Palm Beach lucked out, though, because Kings of Leon will still be gracing the Cruzan Amphitheatre stage on Saturday.
With the release of Mechanical Bull last year, Kings of Leon steamrolled back onto the radio airwaves. Let's be real: No one liked Come Around Sundown, the band's 2010 weak attempt at re-creating the band's earlier magic. On a recent media conference call, drummer Nathan told us that during the writing and recording process, the band "didn't really know what to expect, because we had taken a break and stepped away from the music scene for a while to enjoy being at home with our families and being fathers and husbands." He added that though members were out of touch when making Mechanical Bull, "it all just kind of fell into place. Once the record was finished, we were all very pleased with it, but also I was surprised at how quickly we were able to do it but still keep the Kings of Leon sound and the integrity of our craft."
While the album put them back on the map, the guys knew the live show had to be on point. Caleb, lead singer and Nathan's brother, said, "I believe we are tighter as a band personally and musically right now but also creatively. We know that when we made this album and before we embarked on this tour that we wanted to do something different and challenge ourselves to have more fun on the road. In order to have fun, we have to do stuff that gets us out of our comfort zone."
Obviously Nathan's injury is putting a damper not just on rock-hungry fans' plans but on the band itself. Touring is a huge part of its identity and income. It's what made Kings of Leon this big. If a member of the Followill clan is down, they all suffer. And if Nathan needs more time to recover, West Palm Beach is one of the first shows on the chopping block. But we have a feeling the band will make up for it if the show falls through. Caleb revealed his latest inspiration on the call. "I'm learning a lot from people like Taylor Swift," he admitted. "The more time you spend with your fans, the more you get back."
