Kings of Leon Will Light Up the Hollywood Bowl

Sandra Miska

On October 3, Nashville rockers Kings of Leon will bring their Mechanical Bull Tour to the Hollywood Bowl. Prepare  to rock out to hits like “Supersoaker,” “Use Somebody” and “Sex on Fire.”

A family-based band, Kings of Leon consists of brothers Caleb (vocals, guitar), Nathan (drums) and Jared Followill (bass) along with their cousin Matthew Followill (lead guitar). The guys got together in 1999 to hone their southern rock/blues-influenced sound and found success in the U.K. before hitting it big with the 2008 Platinum-selling release Only by the Night. Their sixth album Mechanical Bull debuted in September 2013.

Kings of Leon have experienced somewhat of a rebirth between the releases of Mechanical Bull and their previous album Come Around Sundown in 2010. Back then, the band members were known for overindulging, and not just in the usual booze and drugs — Caleb was injecting steroids in an effort to keep his distinctive voice strong. “I got a little temperamental,” Caleb admitted to the Independent. “’Roid rage is a true thing.” Ultimately, he was forced to confront his unhealthy habit when his wife, model Lily Aldridge, banned him from their hotel room until he straightened out. The band’s existing tensions came to a head in July 2011 after Caleb walked off a concert stage in Dallas, muttering something about needing another beer. The incident was followed by a hiatus and rumors of a permanent split.

Rolling Stone recently asked Nathan Followill if he thought the band was over at that time. “No,” he asserted. “People ask us that, and if you ask any one of us, we’d say, ‘No way.’ Being a family band, we were bound to have that awkward first-time hangout at a show or at Christmas or Thanksgiving. There’s no avoiding it. If the band even stopped, we’re still a family and would see each other. So that wasn’t a thought in any of our minds. We all knew we needed a break, but we knew it wasn’t over.” The guys were able to put aside their differences and demons before returning to the studio in 2012. Their renewed creativity spawned Mechanical Bull, an album of high-energy rock songs that was met with positive reviews and a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album.

These days, the bandmates of Kings of Leon practice a healthier lifestyle, with personal trainers joining them on their latest tour. The guys are also more domesticated nowadays: Matthew and his wife Johanna Bennett have two young sons; Caleb and Lily welcomed a daughter in 2012; Jared married Martha Patterson in 2012; and Nathan and his wife Jessie Baylin’s baby girl was born in 2012.

Kings of Leon will Light Up the Hollywood Bowl on October 3. Tickets can be purchased here and at Tickermaster.com.