Foster The People is in the midst of an extensive headlining tour. They won over thousands at Coachella and have already sold out their upcoming El Rey dates in Los Angeles in July. Last week, the titans of indie rock played a free set at Hollywood’s Amoeba Music to a crowd of over 600 fans.
The show kicked off shortly after 6:30 p.m., however, fans skipped out of work and got in line way before to solidify their spots; the earliest arriving at 10 a.m. Groups of Foster lovers crammed into CD aisles which were roped off once at capacity.
Michael Foster, the uncle of lead singer Mark Foster, was nestled into the front row VIP section. Foster told us how proud he is of his nephew and how he remembers him working odd jobs such as busing tables in order to save up money to fulfill his dreams of becoming a rock star. “He’s worked hard and deserves it and it couldn’t have happened to a better nephew. He came out here with his dream when he was 18 years old and he stuck to it,” explains Foster.
By the time the band hit the stage, security had stopped allowing people to enter the building for the show but that didn’t stop a line of last minute hopefuls from crowding the building. Groups of Foster The People fans wearing band apparel, fake mustaches, and shoelaces tied around their heads cheered and danced along to the set. The band performed seven songs in total including “Houdini,” “Color On The Walls,” “Warrant,” “Helena Beats,” and the radio friendly “Pumped Up Kicks,” which everyone knew the words to.
The show was in support of “Torches,” the latest and greatest Foster The People album that just released on May 23rd. Following the performance, Amoeba held a CD signing with the band. Sweaty fans coming down from the high of dancing during the entire show dove into line clutching their copies of “Torches” and waiting to meet their favorite rockers.
Before making his way over to the signing table, Mark Foster addressed the crowd with some heartfelt words: “We just wanted to thank you all for coming out and filling up the place. We’re glad we got to be here in LA and play in the best indie record store in the country.”
For more information on Foster The People’s current tour, visit: www.fosterthepeople.com
Words by Nicole Pajer. Photos by Sidney Bensimon.
