Future Islands Explode at The Hideout

By Kim Bellware in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 7, 2010 7:40PM

Future Islands’ star has been steadily on the rise following a positive reception to the recently released “In Evening Air,” coupled with the active blog-fueled chatter surrounding the band’s genre bending, blending and self-classification as “post-wave.” Rising stars they may be, the band exploded into something positively meteoric for Saturday night’s show at the Hideout, handily convincing us that they are, in fact, deserving of the hype.

Just moments into the powder keg opener, “Inch of Dust,” front man Samuel T. Herring was already stomping around the stage, slapping himself in the face to the beat of the drum machine; it was a strange intensity builder that seemed to psych the crowd up as much as it did Herring. Later joking that he’d used up all his energy on the first song, Herring and the band only grew livelier and louder throughout the set, cuts like “Pinocchio,” “Tin Man” and “Walking Through That Door” topping each other, one after the next. On the floor rumbling, “Long Flight,” the band exemplified their knack for musically communicating the kinetic excitement that powers their songs, danceable or not.

We couldn’t get enough of J. Gerrit Welmer’s smooth but vibrant synth that fluxed between moody and celebratory (with obvious nods to Joy Division tucked in). Between Welmer’s electro-pop feel and William Cashion’s expertly-placed bass lines, Herring had plenty of room somersault with his impressive vocal range. We personally preferred his voice less affected than the hardcore, choked growl he’s known for, though it provided an interesting and textured jolt to songs that would otherwise skew strictly toward dance-pop.

As a band still genuinely enjoying the newness of their success, Future Islands gave heartfelt shout outs to the excitable fans in the room and their new label, Chicago-based Thrill Jockey. They gave every last drop of enthusiasm, Herring even keeping up his magnetic performance while rocking a leg brace from a recent knee surgery. While a screaming-good encore was the only thing the band left us wanting, in the end, we settled for a raucous balloon drop and their perfectly orchestrated party atmosphere.