What started out as a show with all the pomp and circumstance of an arena event turned into an evening of subtlety during The Killers [ tickets ]' Wednesday (4/11) performance at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix.

Distorted television images on a white screen at the front of the stage--segueing into pictures of The Killers, western landscapes and shots of their hometown of Las Vegas (including Sam's Town Hotel)--kicked off the night. Then, as the screen dropped, red, white and blue confetti rained down on the sold-out crowd of about 5,000, and lead singer/keyboardist Brandon Flowers, sharply dressed in a three-piece suit, bowed and broke into the title track from The Killers' latest album "Sam's Town." In true Las Vegas fashion, the album's title was illuminated at the top of the stage.

But the flash pretty much ended there, save for the wall of lights that introduced "Somebody Told Me." Flowers and the rest of the band--guitarist Dave Keuning, bassist Mark Stoermer, a touring guitarist/keyboardist and drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr.--opted for a low-key show during which they said little.

The charismatic, melodramatic Flowers often acted out his lyrics, adding dramatic flair to the two-hour performance. In "Bones," he dipped his microphone stand as if he was dancing with it. Standing atop a monitor, he subtly stomped his foot to introduce the chorus of "Somebody Told Me." And he motioned his hand to invite the audience along with him for a chant of "come on, come on" during "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine."

Flowers' vocals were impeccable, remaining true to the albums "Hot Fuss" and "Sam's Town." His delivery was subtle during songs like "Exitlude" and "When You Were Young," during which he took turns between the microphone and his keyboard, set up at center stage. He strapped on a bass for "For Reasons Unknown."

The band burned through its hits rather quickly--and early on. "Bones," "Somebody Told Me," "Smile Like You Mean It" and "Read My Mind" were all played within the first 45 minutes. But the show's highlights weren't necessarily the hits. "Bling (Confession of a King)," featuring a second round of confetti, was anthemic. Flowers introduced it with a spoken-word rendition of "Read My Mind's bridge, to which the audience sang along. The Killers saved "All These Things That I've Done" for the encore, allowing the crowd to sing "I've got soul/but I'm not a soldier."

If there was one problem, it was that Flowers' bed of vocals was often overtaken in the mix by Keuning's guitar and the touring musician's keyboards during songs such as "Jenny was a Friend of Mine" and "Glamorous Indie Rock 'n' Roll."