FOALS played The Wiltern Nov. 29; photo Andy Ortega
Before launching into another tinnitus-inducing song Foals lead singer Yannis Philippakis paused to extend some gratitude to the sold-out crowd saying, “Thank you for staying up past everyone’s bedtime on a Sunday night. There’s nowhere else we’d rather fucking be!”
Kicking off the first night of their US tour at the Wiltern on Nov. 29, the show was part of Red Bull’s Sound Select 30 Days in LA. The Oxford quintet came out guns blazing, and it was pretty clear the rabid crowd didn’t want to be anywhere else, either.
Combining an impressive poetic lyricism with hi-hat heavy dance beats and 10-ton riffs, Foals have struck gold with their captivating mix of jittery math-rock, soaring and atmospheric melodies, and post-punk revivalism. This blend translates explosively to live shows, with the band making such an excitingly riotous noise on songs like the swaggering “Snake Oil” and the beastly “Providence,” one thinks the speakers are going to blow apart.
Grounding the thundering sound is Jack Bevan, a monster on the drum kit laying down behemoth, bone-rattling beats as well as the tight, mathematical, hi-hat rhythms that permeate the group’s work from the resounding heartbeat of “Olympic Airways” to the almost loop-like syncopated preciseness of “Red Socks Pugie.”
Each member is excellent instrumentally, with plenty of engaging energy in their performance, but no one steals the show like Philippakis. A true spark plug, he ignites everything with his energy that just won’t quit. He may be compact but he gets around, traipsing all corners of the stage, swinging around on the microphone stand, and tripping over speakers. Even with his thrilling crowd-dive during the earth-shaking rendition of “Inhaler,” it is Philippakis’ emoting voice, which went impressively from a whisper to an all out howl on the excellent “Late Night,” and his crying guitar riffs that are at the core of every song. It’s the airy, jangly, lightness of his playing, soaring over all the heavy underneath that give Foals songs their heartrending edge.
The entire 13-song set was met with roars of approval from the audience. A fanatic bunch, they seemed to know what every song was before the first note was even done ringing out, pumping their fists and dancing freely beneath the seizure-inducing lights. Despite the constant adoration, there were crowd favorites. The ultra-fun 80’s dance groove of “My Number” just does not quit, and had the whole crowd on its feet, while the anthemic “Mountain At My Gates” featured some of Philippakis’ best playing of the night, along with some revelatory bass-playing from Walter Gervers.
Whipping the crowd into a fevered frenzy, Foals saved the monstrous, arena-worthy “What Went Down” for part of their three-song encore and somehow made it even more dead-waking, which turned out to be a necessity after their absolutely decimating performance.
Novosti and Son Little opened the show.