It felt like a coming of pure success this past Friday night as the highly acclaimed indie rock trio Foster the People performed for a sold out crowd at the Riviera in Chicago. The concert was part of their promotional tour for their sophomore album, Supermodel, which was released this past March.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Foster the People once before, when they were touring for their first album Torches, and I knew more or less what to expect this time around. I was confident that their atmospheric and dance oriented melodies would translate into amazing live vocals, enlightening visuals and a crowd full of pumped up kicks, just as they had last time. Apparently hundreds of people in the Chicago area also expected more of the same. The line outside the venue wrapped around the block twice, as fans stood hours in the frigid Chicago temperatures with umbrellas and winter jackets. Not even the unexpected and horrific spring time weather could keep the Foster fans away. It was evident that their fan base had grown exponentially in the past three years of their rise to fame.
The doors to the venue opened around 7 p.m. and the rush to get a good spot on the general admission dance floor was comparable at times to the Hunger Games. Now I normally wouldn’t liken myself to Katniss, but I must admit I did manage to somehow sprint fast enough to secure what felt like a VIP spot.
Their opening act was a South African singer/songwriter named Jean-Philip Grobler, who with a couple of multi-instrumentalists, go by the name St. Lucia. I personally find it very rare to thoroughly enjoy an opening act, normally I’m just counting down to see who I came for, but St. Lucia’s 80’s influenced, romantically synthesized pop set actually made me forget who I was there to see. The band had a very colorful and unique stage presence, one I wouldn’t be surprised to see headlining Lollapalooza in a couple years. They surpassed their duties as the opener and left the crowd vibrating with a mood that only quality live music can inhibit.
Mark Foster, Cubbie Fink, Mark Pontius, Isom Innis, and Sean Cimino all walked on stage about a half hour later. Their figures brought the crowd to a freeze with only screams being heard around the venue. The band’s stage presence was absolutely untouchable and yet completely human. The lead singer and songwriter Mark Foster was constantly interacting with the crowd and he ultimately made the show feel like a very intimate musical gathering. They played around 16 songs, and made sure to balance out some of their new and edgier songs with the comforting and lighter melodies of some of their older fan favorites. It’s hard to believe that they’ve only produced two albums, especially when every song was received with equal excitement. The only difference I noticed between this concert and the last time I saw them was that they didn’t make a huge show out of the song that put them on the charts. Instead they played “Pumped Up Kicks” in the middle of their set, and ended the show with an encore performance of “Best Friend”, their newest single from Supermodel, and their popular single from Torches, “Don’t Stop”.
I can honestly say this was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. The ambiance Foster the People carry on tour is one that leaves their crowds feeling optimistic and just better in general. The next time they’ll be in Chicago will be in August for their Lollapalooza headlining slot. If you have any doubts on whether they should make your Lolla scheduling plans, erase them and just go check them out. You won’t regret it. I know I’ll be there.
