Last night Foals, along with openers Freelance Whales and The Naked and Famous, played to a sold out crowd surprisingly composed of the largest group of non-hipsters Wrigleyville has probably seen in years.
The Naked and Famous, playing their first show in Chicago, started off a little stiff but okay. As time went by the more confusing it got about what kind of music this band wanted to play. The Freelance Whales started off fun but after a few songs, the crowd was just not feeling their heavier material. Their niche is definitely within the upbeat tunes.
Foals were met with roars and even a few squees from the audience. The band’s lead singer, Yannis Philippakis, sounds a lot like Coldplay’s lead singer, Chris Martin as do both bands hail from the United Kingdom. That’s where the similarities between the two bands end though. This band is not like one that you’d hear on the radio but trust me, that’s a good thing. It’s not so different that you hear it and hate it immediately because it’s out of your musical comfort zone but their music is diverse and a friendly way to prove that there is still good music being made out there. They definitely know how to get the crowd moving with great energy and upbeat music. Even the men in the crowd danced a bit. Not the head bobbing that we are used to, but actual dancing to the beat! The crowd sure needed tunes like “Total Life Forever” and “Afterglow” to make them put their iPhones down and they got it with Foals.
Be sure to check out the band at www.foals.co.uk .