Foster the People

Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal QC, August 1

Photo: Pat Beaudry

BY Matt BobkinPublished Aug 3, 2014

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Despite touring their newly released sophomore album, Supermodel, it seems like the success of Foster the People's first LP, Torches, and the steady stream of hits it provided is still inescapable three years later. The audience at their Osheaga set remembered all the words to songs like "Helena Beat" and "Houdini," and the danceable hooks mixed with sampled synth and drum textures were a reminder of why the group shot to fame so quickly.

Lead singer and band namesake Mark Foster's falsetto was still beautiful and clean, and the quintet of backing musicians was tight and talented, with well-executed sampling and lots of impassioned tambourine shaking. The newer material was familiar to some of the crowd, but lacked the punchy crispness of the Torches hits. One notable new tune was "Are You What You Want To Be?" but its catchy chorus paled in comparison to "Call It What You Want" and the one-two punch of closers "Pumped Up Kicks" and "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)."

Aside from some brief limp thrusting toward the back of the stage and a quick thanks, Foster was still and banterless. The tunes sounded fine, but the performance itself was lacklustre, unable to fully match the vibe of the songs themselves, and was marred by the sagging, Supermodel-heavy middle section.

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