The Kills have been going strong for nearly 25 years, a milestone for any band. Watching the duo of vocalist Alison Mosshart and guitarist Jamie Hince recently at the Baltimore Soundstage, though, it felt like the years have only honed that frenetic sound to a point.
The band has been touring with Queens of the Stone Age but opened up a select few headlining dates across the USA, including Charm City. And I’m glad they did as they brought a healthy dose of garage rock with them.
Starting things off was LA-based artist Emi Grace, whom I hadn’t seen before but left me, and this Baltimore crowd, thoroughly impressed with her bands boundless energy and infectious vibe.
At Baltimore Soundstage on June 15, The Kills took the stage to a huge applause as the strobes flashed and pulsed. As a lead in, you can’t get much better than “Kissy Kissy” with that slow clicking drone as the duo took the stage. That refrain — “it’s been a long time comin’” — spoke volumes as they made their first trip to Charm City, though the band did return to DC last year for two nights at the 9:30 Club.
For just two people on-stage, Mosshart and Hince produced a huge sound as the two moved across the stage. I’ve seen shows where the entire stage was full and the way these two moved on stage put those bands to shame. Playing to the crowd, Hince’s guitar clanged and groaned as Mosshart went from playing guitar to taking the mic to prowl the length of the stage.
Some of the newer songs from 2023’s God Games — “Love and Tenderness,” “103” — had a slower, heavier, more cinematic feel next to older tunes. A lot of The Kills music seems to be born with this gravel, road-worn feel and hearing those new songs with older ones like “Baby Says” or “DNA” from 2011’s Blood Pressures, it felt like pieces to a whole. The Kills have this groove that’s so different from their contemporaries. These are songs that are perfect listening for driving long stretches in the dead of night.
Although a lot of the night’s set was made of the most recent LP, with highlights like “New York” and “My Girls My Girls,” there were some magic moments with “The Future Starts Now” and the encore and crowd favorite, “Sour Cherry.”
An incredible night that made me wish the set was a little bit longer, and I can’t wait to see them when they come around these parts again.
The setlist included:
Kissy Kissy
U.R.A. Fever
Love and Tenderness
103
Baby Says
New York
Wasterpiece
Black Balloon
DNA
Hard Habit to Break
My Girls My Girls
Doing It to Death
Future Starts Slow
Here are more photos of The Kills performing at the Baltimore Soundstage on June 15, 2025. All photos copyright and courtesy of David LaMason.
And here are photos of Emi Grace opening at the Baltimore Soundstage on June 15th.
