I missed Foster the People last summer when “Pumped Up Kicks” was burning up the charts, but better late than pregnant, right? The guys are winding down a long tour cycle supporting their debut album Torches. Central Park shows start early and it’s hard to get there early, and much to my chagrin, I missed their opening act and my favorite New Zealander, Kimbra. But I did get a peak of her backstage along with the dashing Mark Foster.
The gents made their way to the stage at about 8 with “Miss You.” I love the energy of these guys, especially front man Foster. He’s so cute and he’s got some great moves. They played just about every song off their album including stand-outs “Helena Beat,” “I Would do Anything For You,” “Waste,” “Call It What You Want” and “Don’t Stop.” My favorite moments included “Warrior” with Kimbra (at least I got to see her once), my favorite FTP song, “Warrant” and “Houdini,” which featured a brass section in marching band attire. Very cool and reminded me of Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk” stunt with the USC marching band back in 1997. As expected, “Pumped Up Kicks” was their encore and the big crowd-pleaser among the 20-something girls in the crowd. I can’t wait to see what these guys do next. Just don’t stop.
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