SXSW 2014: Foster the People

One of the largest venues at SXSW, thousands of fans poured into Butler Park. Families set up picnic blankets, and food trucks were filling the air with their delicious aroma. Butler Park was ready for the show!

The crowd was tough, and definitely standing their ground for a good view of Foster the People, who were supposed to go on at 8 PM, and were about 20 minutes late, making fans anxious. When the lights went dim, and the stage lights went across the crowd, and smoke filled the stage, fans went wild. However, once their intro started , it lasted a little bit too long, just provoking the crowds anticipation. Across the large screens appeared the full moon, and the crowds starting howling. They followed their howling by chanting “Foster” in hopes that they would come out so the show could begin. Some fans even played puppets in the shadow on the screen for entertainment while waiting.

When the bass and heavy beats of their intro got louder, and the lights picked up again, the crowd welcomed Foster the People to the stage as they opened with “Life on the Nickel.” In addition to the already excited crowd, the live stream added to the craze of the fans. Everyone’s hands were up in the air, in hopes that they would find themselves on the big screen. During their next song, “Miss You,” with a funky upbeat tune, the lead singer busted out his dance moves and started grooving across the stage. The whole crowd joined and turned the place into one big dance party. Some even surfed the crowd!

Two of their newest songs were played for the first time live at the show including, “Best Friends” and “The Truth,” to which the fans had a very positive reaction, and kept their dancing in full swing. They also performed their lastest hit single “Coming of Age” which had the crowd pumped. Later, when Foster the People played their No. 1 single “Pumped Up Kicks,” the crowd sang along to every word. The lead singer stuck the microphone out to the crowd, and the sea of people overpowered the outdoor stage. It wouldn’t be surprising if you could hear them from blocks away.

They closed their set with “Helena Beat,” and left the stage. Even though every fan knew they were going to perform an encore, they chanted “Foster” and screamed their hearts out until they entered back on stage to perform their single “Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls).” The strobe lights,  colorful stage, and funky electronic beats, all made for an abstract concert experience.

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