Live: Foster The People in Indy

After being swept into stardom with their smash hit, “Pumped Up Kicks” just a year after their formation, Foster the People has been on a bit of a break for the last few years. Supermodel was released in 2014, and other than playing the festival scene, FtP was very quiet until late April when they released their third EP, III. Hot off that release, they’re on their Sacred Hearts Club tour, which hit Old National Center on Friday. Combining artistry with indie pop fun, Foster the People was worth the wait for Indianapolis.

Miya Folick has “??” under the genre section of her Facebook page, and that’s truly the best way to classify her genre. When she started the show, it seemed as though it was going to be a standard indie rock act. Then she threw in some punk influences. And some pop. And some Latin? It was all over the place, but it worked insanely well. In addition to her genre-hopping, Folick impressed Indy with her phenomenal pipes, extending notes that sometimes transformed into powerful howls. Those who missed her set certainly missed out.

The Egyptian room was packed by the time Foster the People took the stage—likely nearing sold-out status. The stage was decked out with dangling, cascading, square-shaped lights (similar to the iconic rectangles The 1975 uses in their shows) lined with film, which was used as a projection surface. The reflections of the film coupled with the square lights and the plethora of other lights made a fantastic visual display for even those in the way back of the room.

The energy between artist and performer was simply enthralling. Foster the People are known for working festival crowds, and they clearly had no problem hyping up Old National Center. A perfect mix of a synthy party and an indie kickback, the set was captivating and danceable. It was clear by the end of the night that Indy loves FtP, and FtP loves Indy.

Interestingly, Indy’s show was two songs shorter than the previous shows on the tour. Despite dropping “Waste” and “Broken Jaw,” the set still managed to hit the classics, play the favorites, and promote their new material, which is fantastic. “Doing it for the Money” was a great way to bring up the energy, and “Lotus Eater” rocks harder than anything Foster the People has put out to date.

Foster the People’s date with Indianapolis was a long time in the making, and was certainly highly anticipated. The Indy show was definitely worth the hype, and if the performance was any indication, the impending new album will be as well. We hope FtP won’t go back into hiding anytime soon, and look forward to hearing everything they worked on while they were away.

-Kelly Fox

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