There’s been no better story in 2014 than the rise of Future Islands. Not only are they arguably the best thing going right now in music, but they deserve it more so than anyone else. They’ve been working hard for years and its all lead up to this. Thanks to a legendary performance in front of Mr. Letterman, some incredible SXSW performances, as well as the release of their incredible new album Singles, it’s all added up to some well deserved success. On Wednesday night they landed in New York City to play a sold out show at Webster Hall along with fellow Baltimore bands Ed Schrader’s Music Beat and Chiffon.
The boy/girl duo of Chiffon (Chase O’Hara Amy Reid) kicked things off with some electronic slow jams finely influenced by r&b. Imagined if Purity Ring ventured further into r&b jams. There was some smooth stuff going on. I was digging their vibe and recommend you check them out.
The first time I saw Ed Schrader’s Music Beat was earlier this year where they opened for Cloud Nothings at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn. The group consists of Ed Schrader and Devlin Rice, and the duomake quite a racket for just two guys. It was interesting to see them on the big stage of Webster after seeing them at the intimate Baby’s. They handled themselves well on the stage captivating the audience with their fever-explosion rock and roll that draws you in whether your ready or not. They play nearly in the light aside from the light that shines from the floor. Even so the noisy post-punk that they summon creates a light of their own that is simply unstoppable. Keep an eye out for their new album Party Jail, which is due out on May 20 via on Infinity Cat Recordings. I have a feeling big things are on the way for them in the immediate future.
There was no doubt a sold out show at Webster Hall was one of the biggest moments to date for Future Islands. It was confirmed by charismatic frontman Sam Herring who noted it was their largest club show to date. He admitted he was battling a cold for a while but he fought through it, and from the opening bits of “Back In the Tall Grass” I could tell that Herring’s voice was completely game for the show. Not only that, but his signature dance moves were unbuckled and ready to pull anyone in who would let it. That would end up being the entirety of the crowd, who were all going absolutely berzerk throughout the show. “Balance” from their 2011 LP On The Water started a ruckus on the floor of Webster Hall, sending crowd-surfers to the front of the stage and even some slight moshing. By the time tracks like “Tinman” and Singles highlights “A Dream Of You and Me” and “Seasons (Waiting On You)” came on, things were getting wild and rampant down there. So much so that Herring mindfully asked the moshers to calm down a little, explaining “not everyone wants to most you guys.” In Evening Air cuts “Walking Through That Door” & “Long Flight” didn’t help the cause, if anything the crowd only let loose that much more.
It was hard to resist as the band’s tracks were so sharply executed and fine tuned. Herring’s guilt-free dance moves are so transcendent to the point that they make everyone in the crowd watching him that much more comfortable to be themselves and let free. The rest of the band are more refined and stoic, but their instrumentation is the key to the pulse that gets the whole thing going. The band’s new-found fame hasn’t gotten to their head as they finished the show with a hand-written request for “Beach Foam”, one of their first songs ever. It was humble moves like this, that prove that they are one of the most down to earth bands rocking out.
Between Future Islands, Ed Schrader’s Music Beat and Chiffon, Baltimore music took over NYC for one of the best nights of music that I’ve seen this year.
Below find photos of all three acts along with Future Islands’ setlist.
1. Back In the Tall Grass
2. Sun In The Morning
3. Balance
4. Before the Bridge
5. A Dream of You and Me
6. Tin Man
7. Doves
8. A Song for Our Grandfathers
9. Light House
10. Seasons (Waiting On You)
11. Spirit
12. Walking Through That Door
13. Long Flight
Encore:
14. Fall from Grace
15. Vireo’s Eye
16. Beach Foam
Future Islands:
Ed Schrader’s Music Beat:
Chiffon:
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