Baltimore’s Future Islands have been road dogging it for over a decade, but in the last few years they have seen their popularity explode. At first glance, the group is a somewhat unlikely success story. The band members look more like Steve in accounting than the minds behind creating their own brand of danceable yet brooding synthpop. It is their explosive live shows and specifically the unique stage presence of singer Sam Herring that has made the band such a draw. Currently supporting their fifth studio album The Far Field, Future Islands kicked off two sold out shows at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon on September 21st.
Given their dedication to touring, it made sense for the band to begin their set with “Beauty of the Road”. Not surprisingly, songs from The Far Field made up the bulk of the set, but the band satisfied new fans and old by touching on all five of their albums throughout the night. Songs like “A Dream of You and Me”, “Day Glow Fire”, “Haunted By You”, “Seasons (Waiting On You)”, and “Spirit” all had the crowd singing and dancing along. In the live setting, many of the songs tended to bleed together with drumming, bass, and keyboards that only varied slightly song to song. This hardly mattered as Future Islands are not a band one sees to study the nuances of the lyrics and arrangements, but rather one for letting your hair down and dancing along to their synthy New Wave sound. Besides, the focus for the crowd was not so much on the music as it was on its singer.
Sam Herring is a strange character in the realm of dance music considering his look. Onstage at the Crystal Ballroom, Herring resembled a cross between Marlon Brando and Morrissey with a touch of average Joe, and he opted to dress like he was going to a job interview rather than wearing hip attire. This seemingly unassuming appearance created a mystique to the singer, one that was further enhanced by his unique dance moves. As a singer, Herring alternated between snarling and crooning, with the occasionally death metal cookie monster growl thrown in for dramatic effect. Though the music didn’t always reflect it, Herring embraced his primal side with a ferocity that included chest thumping, high kicks, bows, and dance moves that resemble speed skating or throwing a shot put.
In Portland, the crowd seemed to hang on every word, eager to see the emotionally and physically charged deliverance of Herring. The singer prowled back and forth across the stage, making sure to project himself to both sides of the room. By the end of the set the band had demonstrated what has allowed them to tour to increasingly larger audiences over their 12 years together. With their simple beats and synth grooves and their strangely charismatic singer, Future Islands have mastered the art of creating a undeniably fun concert experience.
One Response
I saw them recently in a very small venue in Santa Fe, NM. They were mesmerizing and brilliant…all of them. But, yes, Mr. Herring is such a treat to watch. As I suggested to the man: anyone who continues to refer to his moves as ‘dad dancing’ is simply a f’ing fool, ha. He is a performance artist of measure! Thanks so much to all of the band for a memorable and delightful and heartfelt evening.