Live shows are extremely important for small bands. If an up and coming group can’t hold its own live, then it won’t last another month. Conversely, if a band with bad studio material puts on a fun show, they may be able to find some success (see Best Coast). But once a band gets past a certain level of notoriety, all of that goes out the window. Foster the People have gotten so big, so quickly, that the fairly boring concert that I saw them put on at Lollapalooza has done nothing to deter their rise to the indie top.
All I had heard of Foster the People before I saw them at Lolla was their massive single, Pumped Up Kicks. I thought the song was good enough, but not nearly as innovative as everyone else seemed to think. There’s no denying that it’s catchy, though, so I decided to give their live show a try. What happened next is why, no matter how good an LP Torches may or may not be, I will never be a fan of Foster the People.
Their midday set on a side stage was one of the most lackluster performances I have ever seen. The guys just seemed bored up there, and quite possibly extremely hung over. Listening to Torches brought me straight back to that moment. I just can’t find anything good about this generic indie pop, as all I can think about is that terribly unenthusiastic show, and how annoying it was to be sweating profusely and dying of dehydration, all to see a band that obviously didn’t care about me.
Foster the People don’t need to care about me anymore. That show was absolutely packed. They’ve established a fan base, and for the time being there will always be a million other people who want to see them play. Good for them, I guess.
Swole Ear 