You’re out on a date with an amazing person. They’re funny, charming, and all around impossible to dislike. You’re pretty sure this person ranks in the top ten of your past history of dating.
There’s just one slight hitch. The restaurant needs desperate lessons in culinary hygiene, there’s a very uproarious drunk couple at the table next to you who make it difficult to decipher what methodical tidbit your dream date is trying to share, and as the waiter approaches your table to place the very “sophisticated” glass of wine you ordered on the table, they promptly spill it on the blouse you spent two tortured hours trying to pick out.
So did this suddenly turn into a humorous dating blog destined for Cosmo greatness? No not at all, just a rather extended metaphor to fully divulge my experiences at the Foster The People concert Tuesday night. Considering it was a sold out show, I was rather excited that my neurotic tendency to buy concert tickets ridiculously early had actually paid off. Foster The People has been on everyone’s radar lately, and their infamous “Pumped Up Kicks” has become one of the most popular songs in the Top 40.
The masses were definitely out in full force Tuesday night. Granted, The Venue Of Scottsdale has never been a favorite. With a stage situated in the heart of the venue, but with no incline or helpful stage design, the view is virtually non-existent. Though I am a 5-foot-3 petite commonly afflicted with short woman syndrome, at other venues there is the benefit of no large columns adding insult to injury. With a crowd lacking even basic concert etiquette, the atmosphere that FTP could have faltered.
However, FTP was pure magic. Mark Foster’s voice sounded as clear and rich as on the album, smoothly transitioning from note to note, forging a genuine connection to the audience. Starting off by playing his keyboard so hard it got knocked out of tune, the entire FTP crew radiated a vibrant energy that invigorated its audience. Which was desperately appreciated after a respectably energetic performance by Reptar, and a somewhat lackluster one by Cults. Side note: Musically, Cults sounded remarkably strong, but that extra spark just wasn’t there for the East Valley fans present. But, Foster The People? Oh, there will definitely be a second date.
Ha!: When some people tried to push their way to the front and got horribly denied. Gotta love karmic backlash for trying to be “that guy”.
Yay!: The awesome renditions of “I Would do Anything for You” and “Call it What You Want”. The smile on Mark Foster’s face was a nice effect ( a musician happy to play for us, who would have thought?)
The Crowd: Hipsters. Parents. Middle-Aged people looking like they want to be 25 again. And TONS of Teenyboppers. A definite lack of cultural diversity (there was a bit, but not much).
Have your own Foster The People flashback you’d like to share? Or perhaps some humorous concert tale of woe? Email me at gmarsha2@asu.edu, or follow me at @whimsicalwookie.
