There are bands I enjoy seeing live, and there are bands that my camera loves; King Thief fits both bills.

There are bands I enjoy seeing live, and there are bands that my camera loves; King Thief fits both bills. Had my Nikon D200 a heart, I am sure it would ka-thumpety-thump in 1/100-second intervals for these guys.

From frontman Brooks' screamo face, to the stoic poise of guitarist Sam, to the wild-armed frenzy of drummer Louis, to bass player Jon's classic rocker posture, to keyboard man Al's emotional sway, my lens did an ethereal dance of euphoria across the stage at their performance at the PLAY:stl festival in the U. City loop. Oh yeah, and couple that with the picturesque evening sunlight low on the horizon and you have an effective shooter's paradise.

For days, I couldn't get their song "XO" out of my mind. What was it about that song? I think it must be the way Brooks melodically, even sweetly, croons "I hate you" that I find sadistically endearing. That and the fact that while my brain wants to neatly categorize them, it can't. Classical? Emo? Rockin'? New Wave? Pop?

Okay, my wheels are still spinning... I can't put them in a labeled box. But who cares? King Thief is King Thief, plain and simple. A feast for the ears. And so smartly dressed, you won't be ashamed to invite them to dinner. | Angie Knost