The last time I saw Franz Ferdinand live was in 2013, and they played a last-minute gig to raise money for a fan who lost everything in a fire. It was in the basement of the clothing store Vacation in the Tenderloin and admission was “Five Lotto Scratchers.” It was pretty damn magical. Like, in my top 10 show experiences ever. The problem with seeing a “peak magic” show is that it’s hard to go back.
But COVID had me digging deep into the 00’s dance rock cannon. A whole lot of Yeah Yeah Yeahs and You Say Party! We Say Die! and Bloc Party and, yes, Franz Ferdinand. I really wanted to feel alive again, and this music and this era makes me feel most alive. Would this show make me sad? Or would it be beautiful?
Walking into the venue, I was greeted by so many familiar faces. Warfield employees HUGGED ME! I was addressed by name by multiple people that I haven’t seen in ages. I was literally surrounded by friends.
We were greeted by a short & sweet set by Telescreens. The only thing they had in common with Franz was their hyper-charismatic frontman. They had a bit of nostalgia going but from a much earlier era… Their roots are firmly planted in Clinton-era guitar rock- somewhere between Dinosaur Jr at their most aggressive and catchy and Bush at their most ambitious. It was a solid opening set that converted many in the crowd.
By the time Franz took the stage, the main floor was packed in a way that I hadn’t seen in ages. And when Alex Kapranos and company took the stage, the theater really did feel like it was going to explode.
They opened with New Wave on Red Bull of “The Doctor,” a confident move for the band to open with a new song that is a departure from the classics. But if I could describe this band with one word, it would be confident. Kapranos might be the single most confident frontman in rock that manages to avoid being cocky.
They split the set pretty evenly between the new record and the hits, oozing with confidence and working like a well-oiled machine. Original bassist Bob Hardy and new drummer Audrey Tait were so locked in that it felt like they’d been playing together for decades.
It was such a brilliant show. I danced and sweated like I was 23 again and loved every minute of it. A perfect night of perfect guitar rock.
