Laura Barclay/Gazette

It can be difficult to find a popular band that really impresses an audience with a live performance — the truly talented Kings of Leon did just that.
The band lit up the John Labatt Centre on Sunday evening after openers Glasvegas took to the stage. The Scottish rockers were a good opening act, but their low profile resulted in a half-filled arena during their 45-minute set.
The JLC quickly filled to capacity when Kings of Leon hit the stage.
The opening song “Crawl” got the audience going — especially the inevitable crowd surfing enthusiasts who were immediately escorted to the back of the arena.
The band continued, engaging fans and pumping out a well-balanced set list. They played tracks from their first three albums, and all but one song from their latest Only By The Night.
The transition from new songs to old and from slow songs to fast was smooth. It didn’t feel like there was too much of one thing, which is key to keeping an audience entertained.
Lead singer Caleb Followill addressed the crowd frequently and shocked some people when he took four shots of liquor during the set. “I know I probably shouldn’t be drinking,” he said while on stage, but did anyway.
Followill’s voice was electrifying — and is part of what makes the band so unique as they don’t have the generic mainstream sound you often find on the radio. Not only were the vocals and instruments played to perfection, but the lighting and screen shots also complemented them perfectly.
Many people qualify a good band by their ability to duplicate the sound of their record in a live performance. Kings of Leon exceeded this standard, as their sound was authentic and more vibrant in a live setting than on their records.
On the other hand, some songs sounded a little too much like the album version. It would have been nice to see the band add some twists to their tracks in the live show to avoid feeling as though you could go home and hear the exact same thing from a CD.
The show ended after a two-hour set, but it was easy to see the crowd was hungry for more. Based on the after-show buzz, it was obvious that Kings of Leon fans were not disappointed.