ACL Review, Photos: Foster the People, Friday, Google +
Foster the People, ACL 2011. Image via Sean C. MurphyFoster The People have the hands-down runaway hit song of the year; their “Pumped Up Kicks” is everywhere, from extensive radio play to critics’ best-songs-of-summer lists. It’s even on the mind of a mother overheard telling her toddler to say “pumped up kicks” as she took his picture. But before ACL crowds could sing along to that insanely catchy chorus, the L.A. quintet treated audience members to a tight hour of electro-tinged dance-pop. The group is noticeably bouncy onstage, with lead singer Mark Foster running from end to end and instrument to instrument. The Google + stage seemed a bit small for the group and their fans considering the recent exposure they’ve received, and the crowd stretched much further than anticipated. And when they closed the set with “Pumped Up Kicks,” it marked a perfect capstone to an energetic set. They might not have another hit in them, but that hardly matters when thousands of fans are singing along.
- Art Levy
