Along with two complimentary openers, Future Islands brought a heavy dose of synths and hard-not-to-dance-to beats to the Wiltern on Thursday as part of Red Bull’s 30 Days in LA.

Early arrivals were greeted with a table of snacks and guitar pick “tokens” that could be exchanged for Red Bull and vodka. The atmosphere in the lobby was bubbly owing to the Wiltern’s supremely smooth operation. Drinks stations and refreshment stands were all over the place, all of them manned, and the only lines were at the ones at the entrance by people who by habit have probably just come to expect to wait at these things. The sheer number of stands and stations at which to spend money almost gave it the feel of a mall food court, but not in a bad way, unless you’re trying not to spend money.

Austin’s SPEAK opened the show with an easy mix of synthpop and wide-range vocals by keyboardist and frontman Troupe Grommage, often harmonizing with the rest of the band. Grommage’s fearless falsetto fluttered up from rootsy troubadourisms as the fuzz synth painted a post-apocalyptic soundscape as envisioned by the year 1970. SPEAK uses a refreshing complexity of chords and chord progressions, which often get dumbed down in favor of hooks whenever the word “synthpop” is in play, which on Thursday was the entire evening. Rose Quartz picked up where SPEAK left off, with their self-described “sultry synth”, a little glossier and softer around the edges, but still organic with the presence of live percussion, playing as a full band rather than just the core duo, warmer than the cool electronic vibe of their recordings.

It goes without saying that Future Islands have had a very good and very busy year, and it shows in their tight delivery. Well-oiled and earnest, the emotion came through in Herring’s bizarre but sincere dance moves as his distinct voice ran the gamut from smoky soul to death metal growl, often in the same phrase. One would fear he might pull a Stevie Nicks on his throat (their memorable Letterman appearance in March is a great illustration) but his voice didn’t falter as he marched, gyrated and chest-pounded his way across the stage nonstop for about an hour and a half without showing fatigue. The set was packed with emotive performances of songs from their latest album Singles, like the bouncy “Back in the Tall Grass” and “Seasons (Waiting for You)”, which, like the Letterman performance, displays striking counterpoint of a pounding kick-snare beat and effortless melodies as he pleads for understanding while somehow implicating a lack of understanding in the object of his pleading.

Though the songs didn’t deviate much from their highly effective formula, a break in the repetitive flow came late in the set when hundreds of white and blue balloons came down in a flurry of surprise, injecting a fresh jolt into the dancing crowd whose Red Bull jitter may have started to wane. The balloons and constellation lights that formed the backdrop (along with the Sound Select logo) made a striking image, but also the sound of hundreds of balloons popping in hand and underfoot throughout a reverberant hall, which made a lasting machine gun effect over the ongoing beat. A beat which, by the way, does not end after the music’s over, worming its way through the head without cease. That’s the real surprise.

Set List

Back in the Tall Grass

A Dream of You and Me

Walking Through That Door

Balance

Before the Bridge

Doves

Heart Grows Old

A Song for Our Grandfathers

Light House

Seasons (Waiting on you)

Tin Man

Long Flight

Spirit

Encore

Inch of Dust

Spirit

Vireos Eye