There was something fitting about Foster the People bringing their Good Mourning Sunshine tour to Vancouver on September 15. The band’s latest live show starts with the promise of a perfect 1950s-inspired world, then slowly tears that picture apart. By the end of the night at the Freedom Mobile Arch, the whole thing had become a colourful psychedelic fever dream.

Led by Mark Foster, the band moved easily between the disco and synth-funk sounds of Paradise State of Mind, the indie-pop songs that first made them stars, and sharper catalogue cuts like “Lotus Eater.” It could have felt disjointed, but the set worked as a look at just how much Foster the People have changed since “Pumped Up Kicks” first took over the radio.

The production did plenty of heavy lifting. What began as a polished, almost too-perfect visual world gradually became stranger and more distorted as the show progressed. The shift gave the newer material a strong identity live, turning the concert into something that felt like it had an actual storyline rather than simply moving from song to song.

Still, the older hits were never far from the crowd’s mind. “Sit Next to Me” had the audience singing along, setting up the inevitable closing moment. “Pumped Up Kicks” brought the night home, with thousands of voices joining in on its instantly recognizable whistle.

Forster the People have plenty of history to lean on, but Vancouver’s show made a case for looking ahead as the new material gives them somewhere else to go.

Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!

FOSTER THE PEOPLE

All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer

There is something special about watching a band that has been doing this for decades step onstage and look like they are having just as much fun as the people watching them. That was The Charlatans at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver on September 11.

Frontman Tim Burgess remains one of the most naturally charismatic figures in British alternative rock. From the opening moments, he was constantly connecting with the crowd, arms raised, dancing across the stage and soaking in every response. There was no sense of going through the motions. The joy looked genuine.

The set balanced the band’s latest album, We Are Love, with a deep run through their back catalogue. “We Are Love,” “Deeper and Deeper” and “For the Girls” sat comfortably beside classics like “North Country Boy,” “Weirdo,” “Tellin’ Stories,” “One to Another” and “Just When You’re Thinkin’ Things Over.”

Tony Rogers’ Hammond organ remained one of the band’s secret weapons, adding that unmistakable swirl to the songs, while Mark Collins’ guitar and Martin Blunt’s bass gave the set its groove. The chemistry between the musicians was just as enjoyable as the songs themselves. At times, it felt less like watching a tightly scripted rock show and more like being invited into a really good studio jam.

“North Country Boy” and “One to Another” produced some of the biggest reactions of the night, but “The Only One I Know” was the obvious crowd-pleaser. They closed the encore with “Sproston Green.”

More than 30 years into their career, The Charlatans are not simply selling nostalgia. They are still making new music, still taking chances onstage and, perhaps most importantly, still look like they genuinely love playing together. Vancouver got a reminder that some bands age, but the Charlatans just keep playing.

Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!

THE CHARLATANS

All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer