Thank God for the eighties. In a time when you don’t know if a
band is good unless they are a throwback to something better, the
’80s provides a popular reference point.

Back when everyone was wearing flannel and not showering, the
eighties were written off as a bad decade for rock ‘n’ roll. And
then recently a few buzz bands–Interpol, The Rapture, The Sounds–
have renewed interest in the decade’s music for critics and
fans.

It was obvious from the second the Killers took the stage at
Mississippi Nights on Monday that they thank God for the 80s
everyday. Their offering comes in the form of kitschy blazers and a
keyboard synthesizer.

Actually, it can be unclear sometimes whether the Killers are
aware that it is 2004, and not, let’s say, 1987. Their combination
of image, song and attitude almost pushes past the point of simple
’80s homage to a full-on time warp.

St. Louis’s return to the eighties began when the band ripped
open their set with a fierce version of “Mr. Brightside,” an
arrogant anthem for the jealous boyfriend. The band then barreled
through most of the songs off their debut album “Hot Fuss,” seldom
stopping for between-song banter.

On the album, their songs can seem a little too pompous or a
little too saccharine. But live, the band performs these songs with
such earnestness that they are accorded new warmth. Their origins
in Las Vegas are telling–as a stage show, the Killers are
solid.

Lead singer and keyboardist Brandon Flowers played up the drama
his lyrics allude to with exaggerated facial expressions and a
stiff swagger. His vocals were delivered in an oxymoronic
style–equal parts nonchalance and passion, marked by a slight
British intonation that hints at cockiness.

With a blend of new wave and post-punk, the Killers threw the
perfect party, a party that demanded an energetic crowd. The
audience obliged by dancing, clapping and singing along at all the
right moments.

But the intensity proved too much for some. Barely a few
measures into “Indie Rock ‘n’ Roll,” a fan near stage center
fainted. A concerned Flowers immediately stopped the song and asked
for assistance for the fallen fan, and then suggested that they
“drink some juice.”

After playing the radio single “Somebody Told Me,” the band left
the stage for just enough time to tease the chanting crowd, and
then returned with a two-song encore. They ended the night with
“All The Things I’ve Done,” which fittingly starts with the line,
“when there’s nowhere else to run/is there room for one more song?”
The answer was yes, and so the ’80s lived on, at least for three
more minutes.

The ’90s also got its turn in the spotlight, in the form of the
shoegazing Britpop openers Ambulance, Ltd. The band’s blend of
dreamy pop and atmospheric rock clicked well with the sound system,
embracing and encasing the crowd.

Ambulance opened with a confident rendition of the psychedelic
“Heavy Lifting,” and the peppy “Anecdote” meant the night’s only
appearance of the acoustic guitar. To close their too-short set,
the band played an extended and aggressive “Yoga Means Union,” the
purely instrumental first track off their debut LP. With scarcely a
weak moment, Ambulance proved to be a suitable prelude to The
Killers’ production.

The strong performances from both Ambulance and The Killers
suggest that the best influences come from the previous two
decades, and more specifically from Britain. In addition, they
attest that even a great band can wear their influences on their
sleeves, and they can do so without any shame.