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Nov 23, 2011 By Mi Tran

When going to a Future Islands show, you can expect three things: Tons of dancing, sweating, and energy. The Baltimore trio fulfilled those requisites when they played to a packed crowd on Friday at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach, CA.

The line outside of Alex’s Bar was extended past the building by those who waited at the last minute to try to get into the show. Even though it was chillingly cold outside, people still waited in hopes of catching the band at a smaller and intimate venue.

Just like the night before at the sold-out Echoplex show in Los Angeles, this show was at capacity and was close to selling out. This doesn’t happen too often at the venue. Bands on the verge of breaking out like Future Islands don’t often play at the punk rock bar, let alone in Long Beach. It goes to show that those in attendance were in for a real treat.

The people that were inside the bar might have recognized the red walls and the mélange of creepy paintings and knick-knacks that surrounded the place, because Alex’s Bar is famously known as Fangtasia, the local vampire hangout on HBO’s True Blood. Yes, I am a fan of the show and I pretty much have a fangirl moment every time I go there.

After what seemed like an eternity and three opening bands later, the guys took the stage close to midnight. Frontman Samuel Herring who seemed to be in great spirits, engaged in stage talk and showed hometown pride by professing to be “North Carolina and Baltimore boys” before starting the set off with slow song “The Great Fire,” off their latest album, On the Water. Noticeably absent during the song was the lack of female vocals in which Jenn Wasner of indie-folk band, Wye Oak fills in on the album.

The crowd, full of twenty-something’s, were dressed appropriately for the cool weather in heavy sweaters, coats and beanies, which would be immediately shed by the time the fourth song, “Balance” came into play. Clearly a crowd favorite, a dance pit erupted as soon as the first few notes were heard.

With beads of sweat trickling down his face, Herring belts out the words, “It just takes time, a little trust and your time, you can change your life.” as he moves slowly side to side and methodically to the beats of the drum machine.

The set consisted of songs mostly from their latest albums, On the Water and In Evening Air. The crowd never stopped moving and generated a lot of heat in the tiny bar, especially to songs, “Tin Man,” Vireo’s Eye,” and “Long Flight.”

Herring could possibly be the most entertaining frontman I’ve ever seen. He doesn’t just sing. He screams, he screeches and at times even howls the songs. He dances around the stage in random and abrupt movements. He uses hand gestures as if reaching out to something in the crowd that only he can see. He puts his all in every song and it’s not an act.

Bandmates William Cashion (bass) and Gerrit Welmers (keyboards) are low-key, calm and collected as they flank his sides letting all the attention focus on Herring.

The lyrical content in most of Future Islands’ songs lament on relationships and heartbreak, but it is often disguised in upbeat pop-synth tunes. Sure, the songs may be catchy and dance-worthy, but if you pay attention to the words and its meaning, it’s sad and depressing as hell. I’ve often heard their music being called “love songs for guys” but these songs aren’t just for the guys, it’s for those who’ve loved and lost. And really, who hasn’t been through that?

Set List:

1. The Great Fire

2. An Apology

3. Inch of Dust

4. Balance

5. Before the Bridge

6. Tin Man

7. Tomorrow

8. Grease

9. Close to None

10. Long Flight

11. Walking Through That Door

12. Old Friend

13. Vireo’s Eye

Encore:

14. The Happiness of Being Twice

15. Beach Foam

Future Islands - “Inch of Dust”

(www.future-islands.com)