The Killers’ frontman Brandon Flowers dedicated part of the band’s Bethlehem, Pa., set last night (Sept. 19) to new wave pioneering frontman of The Cars, Ric Ocasek, who died earlier this week from heart disease at age 75.
Flowers called Ocasek “my first king” in a tweet following his passing, which contained a note he personally sent him about buying The Cars Greatest Hits cassette tape when he was 13. Back in 2018, Flowers inducted The Cars into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and called it “the first band I truly fell in love with” during his speech.
Feeling grateful for Ric. Had the opportunity to send him this email a couple years back. My first king. Thank you, thank you, thank you. pic.twitter.com/h4u8CXDhRg
— The Killers (@thekillers) September 16, 2019
He made his devotion to The Cars heard once again while the Killers performed at the Wind Creek Event Center yesterday. The Killers cut their performance of their own song “All These Things I’ve Done” short and jumped straight into their cover of The Cars’ timeless second single “My Best Friend’s Girl.” Boughs of synced applause and howls greeted the transition, fans fervently reciting the chorus Ocasek historically popularized.
Watch The Killers’ cover below.