Keen

Once upon a time, three guys from a town called Battle in a province called Sussex in a country called England decided that it was OK to form a band with just two instruments, a drum kit and keyboards. They did cheat a little -- the keyboards had some synthesizers and sometimes the lead vocals guy banged at a Hammond organ -- but mostly, they truly wanted to put an end to the over-indulgences of the Richie Sambora 16-string. Because they were English, they had rosy cheeks and dressed like indie fops -- tight-fitting striped shirts, tight pants, no socks, old school Pumas.

They called their band Keane and released a pounding, extrovertish debut album called "Hope and Fears" in 2004 that produced a few hit singles and won them a Grammy. I liked it so much that even though I mostly listen to my iPod or my iTunes on shuffle, there are five Keane songs in my "Top 25 Most Played" (see previous blog). In fact, a remake of the Walker Brothers' "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)," released as a single for charity in between albums, is top of the list with 92 plays, but that's only because I had the song on repeat.

Last week, they released their sophomore record, called "Under the Iron Sea." I haven't had a chance to fully let it sink in yet, but if I needed any help, tonight's show at the Metro was my cheat sheet. Hanging over the balcony at stage right, I watched Tom work the mic like Rod Stewart (really) and Tim thrash the keyboards like Jerry Lee Lewis. Being English, Tom liked to do the kneeling to the crowd thing, touching fingers, hanging on to the mic stand dramatically, thanking the crowd for their "kindness" -- I mean, this is all very Brit pop. It was humble, unpretentious, they were completely a slave to the audience, and did it all with a smile in-between songs. And I loved it -- it reminded me of past Brit pop shows I'd attended; the Pet Shop Boys, UB40, the Beautiful South -- except that the energy and stage presence was amazing. When he grows up, he's going to be like Bruce Springsteen.

After the show, a girl under the marquee "AN EVENING WITH KEANE - SOLD OUT" had a very serious look on her face as a stranger asked her, "So he touched you?" "Yes, he touched my arm twice and held my hand once," she replied. The stranger said, "And he made eye contact and looked you in the eyes?" "Yes," she said. "You must be in love!" "I am, " she nodded sagely. The travelling road shows of yore may be so 1950s (unless you're an American Idol), but ah, there will always be girls in love with rock stars.