Movies

Rilo Kiley’s reunion is right on time at Just Like Heaven

BBG News

“Can you believe,” Jenny Lewis asked, “this is our third show in 17 years?”

On Saturday evening, Lewis, wearing her signature polka-dot mini-dress, white ruffled socks, and a sparkling tiara adorning her head, performed with her band Rilo Kiley at the Just Like Heaven festival held in Pasadena.

She expressed how fantastic it was to be with everyone in the crowd, a sea of people on the lush lawns encircling the Rose Bowl. Yet, what truly stood out to her was being here with her bandmates.

One of the notable rock bands from Los Angeles during the past 25 years, Rilo Kiley was established in 1998. Both lead vocalist Jenny Lewis and the band’s other singer-songwriter, Blake Sennett, had backgrounds as child actors. Over the next decade, they gradually climbed towards fame with their witty yet cynical songs about relationships, poor choices, and the glamorous yet deceitful Hollywood industry. However, just as Rilo Kiley was on the verge of becoming a major success, the band disbanded due to creative and personal disagreements between Lewis and Sennett, who were also romantically involved. For the first time since 2008, the group – consisting of Pierre De Reeder and Jason Boesel in addition to Lewis and Sennett – is touring again; their reunion tour kicked off last week with shows in San Luis Obispo and Ojai and will continue through the fall.

The timing is appropriate since Lewis, during those passing years, has taken on the role of an older mentor for many talented young musicians of recent generations, who write about the various ways the world might disappoint a woman in her twenties. (Think of Phoebe Bridgers, think of Haim, think of Olivia Rodrigo.)

Nostalgia seldom needs justification, as the concert “Just Like Heaven” demonstrated. A staple of the Southern California festival scene since 2019, this annual event unites artists from the early-2000s indie rock era to reminisce about a time before streaming and social media reshaped pop music; notable acts gracing the stage this year included Vampire Weekend, TV on the Radio, Bloc Party, the Drums, and Toro y Moi.

Towards the finale of their main performance on Saturday, Vampire Weekend paid tribute to the indie genre by performing a medley of popular songs from Phoenix, Tame Impala, Beach House, Grizzly Bear, and TV on the Radio, instead of the usual audience-requested oldies like “Don’t Stop Believin'” or “Dancing in the Dark.” The inclusion of Grizzly Bear’s “Two Weeks” in this medley served as a testament to its timeless appeal, an acknowledgment that it has become a classic and one that was warmly accepted by everyone.

Lewis mentioned that one factor contributing to Rilo Kiley’s reunion was the great achievement of a recent tour by The Postal Service, the electro-pop collaboration she formed with Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie back in 2003. Last year, The Postal Service headlined Just Like Heaven and had previously sold out three consecutive nights at the Hollywood Bowl.

Nonetheless, the nostalgia-driven audience in Pasadena might have found themselves particularly receptive to Rilo Kiley’s performance on Saturday. With a one-hour set, the band demonstrated their remarkable adaptability and flaunted their strength and style more than necessary.

“The Execution of All Things” and “With Arms Outstretched” had a clear, rhythmic tone, while “The Moneymaker” flowed along a gritty soul-rock beat and “Dreamworld” echoed the shiny danger of mid-’70s Fleetwood Mac. Just like in their prime, what truly stood out was Lewis’ storytelling ability: she infused “I Never,” a heartfelt ballad about gambling on love, with melancholy, and brought to life the steamy romantic tragedy of “Does He Love You?”, where she played two characters in a failed love triangle. In the latter, she also took on the role of director, using a video camera to capture her bandmates’ performances and project them onto a large screen – not only the star of Rilo Kiley but its creative mastermind too.

On Spotify, the band’s most popular track is the confidently casual “Silver Lining,” from their album “Under the Blacklight” which has a darkly humorous undertone, and Lewis performed it with an air of casual swagger. However, the dedicated fans recognize that Rilo Kiley’s true potential hit was 2004’s subtly lively “Portions for Foxes” – “The conversation leads to intimacy / And intimacy leads to sex,” goes one significant line – which is why they ended their performances with this song at Just Like Heaven.

After departing the stage, Lewis playfully blew a kiss to the audience, returned, picked up a Modelo that was waiting for him, and casually sipped from it using a straw.

Read More

2025-05-11 23:31

Previous post Alphadia III redeem codes and how to use them (May 2025)
Next post Altcoins Set to Outshine Bitcoin for Weeks, Ethereum Flip Confirmed!