People sometimes place artists on pedestals, idolizing creative types as if they don’t have to contend with the same problems that others encounter in their day-to-day life. The social expectation that accompanies being an artist — or, in this case, a touring musician — curiously dismisses the fact that most musicians are regular people who just happen to be particularly handy with a microphone or an instrument.

Hang me up · Cold War Kids, including bassist Matt Maust (above), played its first show of 2010 on Friday. The band is touring to promote its new EP. - Nathaniel Gonzalez | Daily Trojan

On Friday night, those in attendance at the Wiltern had the pleasure of seeing two regular guys share a stage, trying to entertain a large crowd while remaining as human as possible.

Alec Ounsworth, formerly of the indie-rock group Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, was the first to try his hand at the feat.

Ounsworth is touring with the Cold War Kids in support of his new album Mo Beauty. It was easy to see that Ounsworth wasn’t there exclusively to sell a product or even to promote himself but was rather enthusiastic about supporting his friends in Cold War Kids. He obviously wasn’t added to the bill to sell those last hundred tickets; in all likelihood, Cold War Kids selected him as the opening act because he knew how to entertain, and the band probably didn’t mind hanging out with him.

Ounsworth knew that the night was about another band, but he still gave his all in the performance. His set featured songs from Clap Your Hands And Say Yeah, Flashy Python and, of course, some of his own compositions. His glittery indie pop entertained for a while but lost momentum near the end, drawing the most attention from the young crowd but losing them as their attention span petered out.

Ounsworth’s opening performance set the table for what was ultimately an epic performance by Cold War Kids. The intermission was lengthy, but the screen Live Nation set above the stage provided some entertainment for everyone as concertgoers were able to text in whatever they wanted others to see.

Cold War Kids hit the stage around 10 p.m. Expectations for the performance were high, evidenced by an audience that was already screaming at the beginning of the group’s set. After a hiccup at the start due to some technical problems with a guitar, the band finally got going with “I’ve Seen Enough,” immediately spurring the audience into singing along.

After the first three songs, Cold War Kids moved into “Welcome To The Occupation,” where they proved that their maturity and comfort onstage is at a career high. The group’s previous tour and a couple of gigs at random places — our own McCarthy Quad included — really helped its members turn their small band into an outfit that now passes as a Southern California classic.

Every day these average Joes from Long Beach, Calif. begin to look more and more like a band that Californians can start to idolize.

With their new EP Behave Yourself, Cold War Kids take a step forward in their careers. With the preponderance of sad stories and simple yet extremely effective songwriting, the new EP takes the rockers back to the basics that made them what they are now. The sound in Behave Yourself is pointedly unlike the darkness and experimentalism of Loyalty to Loyalty. The band is poised to take the obvious next step and record a new LP next month with big producer Jacquire King. King was the creative force responsible for ripping Kings of Leon away from the band’s true fans and turning them into international superstars with Only By The Night.

Friday night’s show at the Wiltern was huge for both the band and audience alike, and it felt like homecoming for a football team who had just won the title at an away game.

It’s possible that Cold War Kids will soon be to Southern California what Spoon is to Austin or what the Strokes were to New York City. These alternative music legends at some point all broke out of their local markets but still prefer to carry the title of hometown sweethearts than guitar legends when they are back home.

To close out the night, front man Nathan Willett dedicated “We Used To Vacation,” a crowd favorite, to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

“A lot of these songs contain metaphors for natural disasters, things that are the worst case scenario when people are the most dependent or most needful, and this song is about that,” Willett said. “During this song we ask that you put your thoughts and your energy towards the people in Haiti.”

Cold War Kids dedicated the end of their epic homecoming concert to a noble cause, like true hometown heroes and not just rock idols.