The line-up of Friendly Fires, The Naked & Famous, and Cults is an impressive lineup for any concert. Add in the fact that they’re all performing for free at Central Park, and you got a deal. It was a hot day, but it didn’t stop me and the rest of the audience from showing up for this free show which is an absolute steal.
Cults got us started with a short, but oh so sweet set. They were delightful live, giving plenty of life to the sunny songs that compose of their debut LP. Madeline Follin is adorable live, and her vocals lived up to my expectations. I may not have been completely blown away, but I couldn’t help but smile at the very flattering set from the young band.
Not every song from New Zealand’s The Naked & Famous works, but when the band hits their stride, they create some highly enjoyable electronic rock. “Punching In A Dream” and “Young Blood” were the clear highlights of the bands set, which was no surprise to me since they are the standout tracks from their debut album, Passive Me Aggressive You. Some parts dragged, and seemed very samey, but most of the set was enjoyable enough to keep the crowd dancing.
I was never able to gauge what Friendly Fires were like live from live videos on youtube. The band often seemed flat, mostly due to what often seemed like subpar vocals from Ed Macfarlane. The band immediately relieved me of any doubts when they opened with a great rendition of “Lovesick” that proved that they could pull of their blend of dance-rock live. “Jump In The Pool” followed, and it didn’t take much for the crowd to get excited.
It was a healthy set of old and new that worked very well. Each member of the band showed a lot of energy, especially Macflarlane who had no problem putting his thrust heavy dance moves on center-stage. This made the tailor made frontman entertaining to watch, especially when his vocals sounded pinpoint sharp, contrary to what the live videos online tried to make me believe.
The point of a dance rock band is to make you dance, and entertain. Friendly Fires did all of that, and more. They made the 90 degree heat very bearable, and made a lot of New Yorkers in Central Park, very, very happy.
Check out more photos after the jump:
The Naked & Famous:
Cults:
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