It seems like only yesterday that Kings of Leon were growing up before the music world’s eyes. Since bursting upon the scene with the souped-up Southern-garage rock sounds of 2003’s Youth & Young Manhood, the three Followill brothers plus one cousin shed their initial ’70s influences and evolved into arguably the most popular arena rock band of the 2000s. By 2011, the band most associated with mid-career hits “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody” went on hiatus after 12 years of forward motion. But by last September the Followills were back with new album Mechanical Bull and a supporting tour that’s barely paused since.
While the current tour hasn’t been marred by incidents such as Caleb Followill’s controversial June 2011 stage exit in Dallas or the pigeon-droppings plague that stopped a show in St. Louis a year earlier, drummer Nathan Followill did crack a few ribs in August when the band’s tour bus stopped short for a pedestrian. He wasn’t out for long: The full band was back on track for a Labor Day weekend festival appearance in Philadelphia. The latest tour proved the Followills can still weather the storms and excesses of an extensive itinerary without imploding, but they have yet to publicize their plans beyond the final scheduled shows in October. By now, they know a healthy break makes for a healthy band.
MGM Grand, 8 p.m. Sept. 27, $39.50-$69.50 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster
