Thousands of Kings of Leon fans gathered at the American Airlines Center last Wednesday to soak in their Southern rock sound. The band originated in Nashville, Tenn. ten years ago. Talent runs in the family – lead vocalist Caleb Followill is joined by his two brothers, Nathan and Jared, and their cousin, Matthew.

As with most music groups, Kings of Leon first gained caliber years after they began writing and performing songs in Nashville. Their music only became popular two years ago in the United Kingdom, where they acquired several awards for their sophomore album, Because of the Times.

But the American public was not familiar with the Kings of Leon until late 2008, when they released their single, “Sex on Fire”. The tune caught on quickly in the United States and soon held a spot on top of various charts. The song even granted the band a Grammy Award in February.

“Only six months ago, they were playing at a lot smaller venues with a lot smaller crowds,” Houston resident Patrick Blusanovics said. “And now they are able to fill the American Airlines Center. That’s amazing to me.”

The Dallas turnout for their show on Wednesday provided clear evidence for the band’s popularity, which has certainly skyrocketed within the past year. The crowd consisted of rock enthusiasts of all ages, including some unexpected well-coiffed elite alongside the leather-clad stereotypical rebels.

Most of the songs played throughout the show came from their most recent record, Only by the Night, but they did add a few throwbacks for the pleasure of the KOL diehards. Nevertheless, the audience chanted every word back to the stage.

SMU student Sean Higgins went to the concert and had nothing but positive things to say about his KOL experience. “I’ve seen a lot of concerts and at many different venues, but the Kings of Leon by far were the best I’ve seen this year,” he said. “The combination of the lighting, intense sound and overall atmosphere really made a great show.”

Desiree Aardema, a freshman at SMU, attended the concert as well. As a first-time concert-goer, she carried with her an entirely new experience back to campus. “Their music has soul, and they sounded exactly the same, if not better, than they do on the album,” she said. “Kings is my favorite band of all time, and I’m so glad they were the first concert I got to go to. It was one of the best times of my life.”

An assemblage of stage effects changed throughout the show to suit the mood of each song. The show was set up in such a way that geared the focus toward the music, and the music alone. The artists had no spotlights shone on them whatsoever. Their reasons for gracing the Dallas area with their presence was clear: It was all about the sound.

The Kings of Leon will continue their tour until the end of October, wrapping up their journey on the 24th in Monterrey, Mexico.