Photo by Chris Phelps via Summerfest - Facebook
The Killers - Summerfest 2025
The Killers performing at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater at Summerfest (2025)
Seminal alternative rock band The Killers gave Summerfest an explosive show on Friday evening, making their first appearance in town since the band’s last performance at the fest in 2019. An enthused crowd packed American Family Insurance Amphitheatre up to the top of the lawn, eager to sing along to their favorite 2000’s rock anthems, with a crescent moon in the night sky just above the pavilion, and as the lights of the Hoan Bridge intermittently changed colors
The Killers, formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by vocalist Brandon Flowers and guitarist Dave Keuning, produced some of the biggest modern rock hits of the 21st century with albums like Hot Fuss, Sam’s Town, Day & Age and Battle Born. The band’s style blends elements of new wave, post-punk revival, heartland rock and dance-rock among others, culminating in grand, arena-ready productions that demand cinematic visuals, pyrotechnics and crowd participation.
Opening on Friday was Californian indie rockers Cold War Kids, a band that contributed their own memorable hits in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s like “Hang Me Up to Dry,” “We Used to Vacation,” “Miracle Mile,” “All This Could Be Yours” and “First.” Frontman Nathan Willett exclaimed his own excitement to see The Killers, warming up the crowd with the wonderful nostalgia of Cold War Kids’ hook-laden, blues-tinged indie rock.
Might, Heroic Sound
When it came time for The Killers, Brandon Flowers took the stage in a sparkling, sequin black and gray suit. The set began with the opening track off the band’s 2020 album Imploding the Mirage, “My Own Soul’s Warning,” accompanied by background visuals of desert skies akin to that album’s artwork. This became recurring imagery throughout the night, with racing clouds and sunset scenes appearing during songs. It is perhaps fitting that The Killers identify with these portrayals of vast, wide-open spaces, given the band’s mighty and heroic sound.
|
|
After the first song, The Killers jumped into their smash hit “When You Were Young,” getting the crowd ecstatically jumping and cheering as everyone was suddenly hit with what was one of their favorite radio tunes from their high school or college days. Showers of sparks emitted from above the stage against the backdrop of a scorching sun as the song jammed into its last chorus.
Violent Femmes’ Shout-out
Photo by Chris Phelps via Summerfest - Facebook
The Killers - Summerfest
Brandon Flowers performing at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater at Summerfest (2025)
The Killers subsequently dove into more classics like “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine,” “Smile Like You Mean It,” “Human” and “Somebody Told Me.” Between songs, Flowers spoke to the crowd about how happy he was for The Killers to be back in Milwaukee. He gave a shout out to the Violent Femmes, citing them as a major influence on the band’s style. This followed with The Killers performing a rendition of the Femmes tune “American Music” as a special Summerfest treat.
“Runaways,” and “Read My Mind” then followed. The band’s set concluded with “All These Things That I’ve Done”, a refrain of the lyric “I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier” resounding across the sea of people. The encore busted out the glam-disco number “The Man” from 2017 album Wonderful, Wonderful as well as the soul-grounding ballad “Spaceman” from Day & Age. The Killers closed with their most successful single in the U.S., “Mr. Brightside,” complete with an extended outro that revisited the refrain from “All These Things That I’ve Done.”
