Rilo Kiley’s Reunion Tour Showcases Jenny Lewis’ Vocals and the Joy of Revisiting Emotional Work Years Later: Concert Review

For eight formative years in the early 2000s, Rilo Kiley left a profound mark on a generation of emotionally attuned millennials. The band—fronted by singer and rhythm guitarist Jenny Lewis, with lead guitarist Blake Sennett, bassist Pierre de Reeder, and drummer Jason Boesel—released four albums and delivered countless spirited performances. They carved out a singular niche by merging emo vulnerability with indie-rock craftsmanship, driven by Lewis’ candid lyricism and intricate guitar work inspired by acts like Built to Spill.

Internal tensions eventually led the group to dissolve quietly after their 2008 tour, shifting from an indefinite hiatus to a full breakup. However, the pandemic provided an unexpected opportunity for reflection and reconnection. This year, the band announced a long-awaited reunion tour, kicking off its East Coast run on August 30 at the storied Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey—an iconic open-air venue known for launching Bruce Springsteen and hosting legendary summer shows.

Joined by touring multi-instrumentalist Harrison Whitford, the five-piece sounded anything but rusty during a tightly executed 90-minute set. They launched with a run of angular rock songs from their first two LPs, 2001’s “Take Offs and Landings” and 2002’s “The Execution of All Things,” performing with the cohesion and urgency of their earlier years. Yet the sound was noticeably richer, and Lewis’ voice—honed over a prolific solo career that has yielded more albums than the band itself—carried newfound power and control.

Where youthful emotion once strained her vocals to their limit, she now delivered each line with clarity and strength, lending a wiser, more resonant tone to lyrics about innocence and experience. This evolution was especially striking on highlights from 2004’s “More Adventurous,” their major-label debut. On “I Never,” a torch song about idealized love, Lewis’ performance felt less like romantic fantasy and more like hard-won insight. Similarly, “Does He Love You?”—a narrative sung from the perspective of the other woman—took on deeper layers of desperation and regret, as if the passage of time had deepened the song’s emotional truth.

The band provided a dynamic and committed foundation throughout, with Boesel’s vigorous drumming and Sennett’s exuberant guitar work standing out. Sennett also took lead vocals on “Dreamworld” and “Ripchord,” radiating palpable joy. While there’s been no mention of new recordings, the performance made one thing clear: Rilo Kiley’s music has matured along with its members, offering not just nostalgia, but renewed relevance. As music critic Emma Walsh noted, “Reunions often trade on memory, but this felt like a continuation—a second act earned through time and grace.”