On the night of Friday, March 11, a huge chunk of Chicago teed up for the Guinness-flooded swamp of stumbling idiots that is the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. For those who had the Loop’s holiday mosh pit on the lower end of their priority lists, the Riviera hosted a much cooler and far less annoying weekend celebration with the Cold War Kids in the town.The California four-piece brought their indie/soul/blues-infused rock’n’roll to the Riv stage to check off the Chicago stop of their international “Mine is Yours” tour (which will pause on Apr. 3 for the band to hit Lollapalooza Chile). The tour is in support of their 2011 album of the same name (The DePaulia‘s review of which you can read here), the group’s third full length album, following 2008’s “Loyalty to Loyalty” and 2006’s “Robbers & Cowards.”

The Riv didn’t quite sell out (which by no means speaks to the band’s talent; I’d like to rest the blame on St. Pat’s big, green shoulders), but that was really no matter for the quartet of intently focused musicians under the spotlights.

The band quietly and calmly filed into their respective positions and let things take off with “Royal Blue,” a track from “Mine is Yours” that is initially weirdly sexy before morphing into something of a heroic, nostalgic pity party. Apparently only a fraction of the crowd had given the new CD a good listen before that Friday, but they should know that the live example easily matched the studio version.

Singer/pianist/guitarist Nathan Willett was at the center of the show, his vocals sailing right up to that almost unattainable, signature octave (a lonely level in the mainstream-y rock sphere Willett populates almost exclusively with Fall Out Boy and fun. frontmen). He kept the rest of himself busy by either playing guitar, poking keyboard keys or holding his instrument-less hands up at eye level, elbows bent, like he’s trying to make a point to someone who won’t listen. Regardless of his limb activity, Willett was pitch perfect throughout.

The sixth song (almost halfway through the non-encore set), “Hang Me Up to Dry” caught the attention of the audience attempting to mouth along to the songs they haven’t learned yet. The house lights illuminated during the 2007 single’s chorus for the crowd to freak out with a deafening “So, HANG ME UP TO DRIII-IIGH!”

Fast forward six songs to get to the night’s greatest impression-maker, “Bulldozer” off “Mine is Yours.” Willett provided some rare commentary, admitting “Bulldozer” is his favorite track, before making friends with the piano and bringing the new album’s best song to life.

The encore wrapped up with the only CWK track capable of sweeping the floor with “Hang Me Up to Dry”: Crank the blues-ometer full steam ahead and release the “Robbers & Cowards” gem, “Saint John.” The expectations for the song were high, so, so high. Though it started off kind of wobbly, the extended rendition did the job, sending the audience into prime, almost embarrassing, chorus-shrieking hysteria.

The ending power chord was intercepted by a mousey “Thank you” from Willett, and the band modestly walked out of sight. Anticlimactic, sure. Still, I’ll take simple, to-the-point rock’n’roll over drawn-out, egotistical banter, over-calculated theatrics and never-ending, praise-hungry guitar riffs every time.