Kings of Leon Debut "Sex on Fire" at All Points West

While Kings of Leon didn't exactly have the most energy onstage on Saturday at All Points West, their positive vibes and effortless cool certainly translated to the first massive crowd of the day, who pogoed happily to their classic-rock rave-ups. The unexpected highlight of their set was "Sex On Fire," the first single off upcoming album Only by the Night, which the band played live for the first time anywhere. A mix of Springsteen and Cold War Kids, "Fire" was a real triumph in a set already bursting with triumphant hooks.

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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