Before Brandon Flowers became The Man, before The Killers’ 2020 album prematurely imploded the Mirage and “Mr. Brightside” obliterated a U.K. chart record once held by Oasis’ “Wonderwall,” we had 2004’s Hot Fuss.
By today’s standards, the Grammy-nominated LP is a modern classic, regarded as one of the best debut albums of all time by Rolling Stone and an unofficial soundtrack to the early 2000s by virtually everyone else.
Uninhibited and blistering with desert heat and dance-inducing synths, Hot Fuss filtered a patchwork of post-punk influences through a baptismal glow of neon lights and glammed-up indie rock. Nothing quite compares to the dizzy space synths on “Somebody Told Me” or the stadium-size sing-along of “All These Things That I’ve Done.” Those are the moments that take an album like Hot Fuss from sounding great, to feeling alive.
“I remember at the time, there were a few different track orders, but we ended up doing one where it’s very strong from the get go, and then they just power through five of our strongest songs,” says Dave Keuning, guitarist and co-founder of The Killers. “You cannot say that this was wrong. It’s an amazing, can’t-argue-with-it-from-the-get-go kind of album.”
The Killers
So much of Hot Fuss shined, while the process remained unadorned. At the time of recording demos, Keuning says he and the rest of the band—Flowers (vocals), Ronnie Vannucci Jr. (drums) and Mark Stoermer (bass)—were still frequenting the 24-hour Hard Rock Hotel hang Mr. Lucky’s after band practice and working day jobs. Keuning even fashioned a makeshift studio out of his closet to create parts of the magic.
“Back when I was living in my apartment in Vegas, I used the closet to kill some sound and not bother the neighbors. I specifically remember [inviting] Brandon over one time to work on music, and one of the neighbors was like, pounding on the wall. I don’t know if they were scary or an old person. I didn’t want to find out,” he laughs.
In that closet, Keuning would noodle around on his guitar until he stumbled onto something worth using with the band. One day, he landed on the career-defining “Mr. Brightside.”
“I stumbled onto that chord and stayed on it and developed it into something, and then made a little 4-track of it,” he recalls. “I had my 4-track Tascam back then. I was very old-school, still really not very good with computers and recording, honestly. I’d still prefer a four track if I could. But that was my method. That’s how ‘Brightside’ started.”
It’s been 20 years since The Killers debuted Hot Fuss. And for the first time in 20 years, they’ll dust it off and perform it in full for their first Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
Even after all the arena tours and award ceremonies, Keuning still can’t fully comprehend that last part.
“Caesars is pretty special. It’s been around a long time, it’s very centrally located on the Strip, and I used to wander those hallways at the Forum Shops a lot,” he says, laughing. “I saw Elton [John] when he was playing his residency there. I was able to catch one Adele show when she was there. It’s pretty special and pretty cool to play it there. Caesars is a name people know.”
Surely, The Killers have christened their share of Vegas venues before, but a Vegas-bred band returning home to perform a sold-out 10-night Strip engagement is unprecedented. It’s also very, very Vegas.
“From the moment I got to Vegas, I was just overwhelmed by billboards, of other people playing and the excitement of who was headlining each hotel and fantasizing about that,” Keuning says. “Residencies weren’t really quite a thing 20 years ago as they are now, so to have us doing a residency and being on some of those billboards, that feels like the fantasy is kind of completed.”
But that’s not to say The Killers haven’t had some pretty rockstar Vegas moments already. Who could forget the secret Bunkhouse Saloon show the band did after opening the T-Mobile Arena in 2016?
“It’s all like, flashes, but I remember that night,” Keuning says. “There was nowhere to stand inside the Bunkhouse. We had our own little private spot off to the side that was outdoors because there was basically just enough room to get on stage and then play and then leave again. You couldn’t walk in there.”
“It was just like the old days, except packed to the gills with people,” he continues. “We do like doing those small shows when we’re able to do them. They’re hot and sweaty, and I love that. That was a fun night.”
In 2016, The Killers held another anniversary album show at Boulder Highway’s famed Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino for the band’s aptly named sophomore album. But a milestone of this magnitude feels even rarer for these hometown heroes. It’s a staple of their legacy, and to a greater degree, it’s a point of pride for our city.
“To just stand on stage and be a part of the whole thing playing Hot Fuss, plus others of our favorites, it’s going to be amazing,” Keuning assures. “I think we’re just trying to make it as good as we can.”
THE KILLERS LIVE IN LAS VEGAS August 14, 16-17, 21, 23-24, 28, 30-31, September 1, 8 p.m., the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com.
Click HERE to subscribe for free to the Weekly Fix, the digital edition of Las Vegas Weekly! Stay up to date with the latest on Las Vegas concerts, shows, restaurants, bars and more, sent directly to your inbox!