That’s right, in a year stuffed to the brim with live music, seeing Foals last night was the last hoorah of 2022. But what a way to end it!
I really only caught on to Foals’ genius back in 2013 with their infectious jam, “My Number,” (seriously, go listen to it right now), but never got the chance to see them until their fourth full-length release came out, What Went Down. They weren’t headlining, but instead were part of a totally stacked concert that I still talk about to this day. How can a concert starting with Bear Hands, Foals, and Silversun Pickups leading to Cage the Elephant not be incredible?! Anyways, it was, and every band there was, too. Now, some six odd years later I finally got the chance to see Foals again! And three more albums came out in that time – so much material!
The show opened with the bands Glove and Inner Wave, both of which gave off a somewhat gothic, new-wave sound. I thought they were both and perfect fit and also completely random. There are elements of the new-wave sound that certainly inspire parts of Foals’ music, but there’s a lot more guitar-driven technicalities in their work. Both bands were enjoyable, if a little monotonous. Similar to AFI’s opening act, Drab majesty, these are bands I need dedicated time with a pair of headphones to appreciate the nuances. Either way, it was clear the crowd, myself included, were antsy for Foals to take the stage. About twenty minutes passed before people started chanting their name.
Boy did they deliver! Fittingly, they opened with the lead single “Wake Me Up” from their latest album, Life Is Yours. That was enough to get a euphoric reaction from the crowd and the energy never stopped from there. They played all my favorites like the aforementioned “My Number,” and “In Degrees” along with a fair amount of tracks from the new record. I was most excited to hear “2am” because that song is never bad no matter how many times I listen to it. A lot of the set ended in extended jamming, which to my delight leaned towards the “heavier” end of their range. You could tell that the band was having a blast, despite how long this particular tour has been going on.
I’m very happy that Foals are wearing the last show of the year crown for me because I couldn’t have asked for a better band. They sound just like their recordings, and the flourishes only add to their incredible musicianship. I know there aren’t too many dates left, but if you get the chance, you absolutely have to see these guys live. I can only hope I don’t have to wait so long before I see them again!