Echo & the Bunnymen at Brooklyn Bowl LV

This was a night we had waited on for a long time, Echo & the Bunnymen playing Las Vegas!A bucket list show and a great venue for them at Brooklyn Bowl.

The evening started out with a surprisingly great local band I hadn't seen before, and thats a shame because they were damn good. Close to Modern got the nod to open this show, and they showed the packed house that they deserved to be there. Close to Modern has the very classic 80's / New Wave guitar sound along with a really good drummer who killed it on the beats. They have been around since 2007, and if you love that 80's rhythm and beat then this is a band you definitely want to get a chance to see.

Close to Modern Photos: Harold Mountain/JustAFanPhotos

As the house music faded and the lights darkened Echo & the Bunnymen made their way to the stage and the crowd surged forward to get a better viewing spot. Even the balcony looked packed from our vantage point on the lower level next to the bowling lanes ( It's Brooklyn Bowl after all). The band was encased in dark / heavy black light colored blues, and opened with the hard hitting "Going Up" that set the tone for the show. As they launched into "Rescue" with it's high piercing opening chords on the guitar the crowd let out a loud cheer, it was obvious this was a favorite. Ian McCulloch sounded amazing and seemed to be in good spirits, between songs he would chat with the band before launching into another song. This was a night for pure Echo fans as the band killed it on all the hits, and on songs "Killing Moon and Lips like Sugar" the crowd sang along so loud that Ian stopped singing at times, and let the huge crowd take over, while he sat back and enjoyed the love the packed Brooklyn Bowl was giving him and the band. Highlight of the night was a powerful version of "Over The Wall" that brought the house down. The band finished the show with "The Cutter" and closed with "Lips Like Sugar", 14 songs in all for the Vegas show. It was a very happy audience that exited the Bowl into the hot muggy night air. A great night and a classic band, catch them on the remaining dates of their current tour and get info on upcoming dates at http://www.bunnymen.com/tour-dates/