Foster The People

Foster the People had the crowd running faster than their bullet through the doors of Cannery Ballroom Thursday.

The sold-out show was originally supposed to be held at Mercy Lounge, but once Nashville caught wind of Foster and his people making an appearance, they came in droves to show their support, quickly selling out Mercy. Even when the show was redirected into Cannery’s larger space, it sold out right away. Still, hopefuls lined up outside Cannery, patiently waiting for anyone to show up with a spare ticket.

To appease those who couldn’t snag a ticket in time, FTP played an in-store set at Grimey’s the afternoon before their show.

Though tickets for the show that night originally went on sale for $10 each, several lucky Craigslist users sold them for $50 a pop right before the show.

Foster the People is a craze-inducing indie rock band from Los Angeles who are literally brand spanking new on the music scene. They released their first self-titled, three-song EP January 18, 2011, and then unveiled their debut full-length, Torches, May 23. Both the LP and the album feature the smash hit single “Pumped Up Kicks.”

By the time this band of three, Mark Foster, Cubbie Fink and Mark Pontius, made their way from LA to the East Coast, their name was already known and audiences were lining up for a chance to catch a glimpse of their live show.

The Cannery crowd was packed in like sardines, eager with anticipation as they waited for FTP to make their way to the stage. The room was already hot and sweaty before the guys even started playing. Once on stage, FTP jumped into their first song without so much as a word, and the crowd immediately joined in, singing along and dancing to the pulsing beat of the music.

It was quickly evident that this crowd was not only familiar with the material on FTP’s Torches; these kids had it memorized. And the crowd had a touch of diversity, ranging from frat-looking bros to Nashville’s hipster crowd.

In just sixty minutes, FTP delivered a mesmeric rendition of their album. Though their sound is electronic, these guys aren’t just studio engineered. They brought a live show that matched the sound and caliber of their album, with Foster’s incredibly versatile voice. In certain moments, if I closed my eyes, it was tough to tell whether a guy or a girl was singing.

To my surprise, the show didn’t end with Foster’s top crowd pleaser “Pumped Up Kicks,” and they didn’t save it for the encore either. Foster played it toward the end but encored with “Helena Beat,” which was a refreshing move.

During the encore the band jumped up on the speakers, thanked the audience and wrapped the whole show after just one hour, leaving their fans ready for whatever this band pumps out in the future.

fosterthepeople.com
facebook.com/fosterthepeople