It’s OK if you want to say that you’re not a Future Islands fan. It’s OK if you want to say that they aren’t your favorite band. But don’t you dare ever say that Sam Herring can’t dance.
After fifteen years, six full-length releases, and relentless touring throughout, Future Islands have earned the recognition of a can’t miss live act. And after viewing the amazing combination of quick and tightly performed dance grooves with Herring’s chaotic and otherworldly abilities as a frontman, I can confidently say that it made for a seriously unforgettable night.
Before Future Islands emerged from backstage, Olympia Washington’s Oh, Rose took the stage to deliver an awesome batch of dream pop-infused indie tunes that turned many a head, mine included. And then it was time.
The set list for the night was a treat for new and old Future Islands fans. They performed seven tracks off their last record “As Long As You Are” including the bass-driven Born in a War, the dreamy Moonlight, and the heart-wrenching Thrill which closed out their initial set. They also performed at least two tracks each from their first five albums. Some came as no surprise like their mega-smash Seasons (Waiting on You) from “Singles” or the early single Tin Man from “In Evening Air.” Other songs were dedicated to their die-hard fans like the song “Beach Foam” off of Wave Like Home which Herring said was so old “it was almost the name of the band,” or the early nonalbum track “In the Fall” which Herring said was usually not performed until October for obvious reasons.
All this equated to a twenty-two track set list that lasted nearly two hours. The stamina of the group was for lack of a better word, insane. Especially with Herring running, sliding, sweating (sweating), jumping and performing roughly fifteen short dance routines that could easily be transformed into tik-toks… it was all truly a sight to behold.