Skip to content
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Derek
    • Gary
    • Halley/Celeste
    • Paul
    • Ricky
    • Vik
  • Concerts
  • Reviews
    • Albums
    • Venue
    • Movies
    • Year End Reviews
  • Festivals
    • Canadian Music Week
    • Hot Docs
    • North By Northeast
    • Planet in Focus
    • Primavera
    • South By Southwest
  • Contact Us
Menu
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Derek
    • Gary
    • Halley/Celeste
    • Paul
    • Ricky
    • Vik
  • Concerts
  • Reviews
    • Albums
    • Venue
    • Movies
    • Year End Reviews
  • Festivals
    • Canadian Music Week
    • Hot Docs
    • North By Northeast
    • Planet in Focus
    • Primavera
    • South By Southwest
  • Contact Us

NXNE Review: Future Islands, June 19, Vice Island

Posted on
22 Jun 2014
by
Ricky

Screen Shot 2014-06-22 at 10.53.12 AM

Thank god David Letterman did not retire one year earlier.

Without the funny man saying “I’ll take all you got” to Samuel T Herring after the band’s now iconic performance on Late Night, we would not have seen the astronomical rise of the band Future Islands. Without this rise, we would not have been on Vice Island on Thursday to experience the joy that is a Future Islands show.

Something about that video tapped into all of our inner psyches. Watching Herring just give it his all and laying it all on the line in front of an audience of millions just inspired the inner performer in all of us. I think it gives people a sense of hope just to see someone dance like no one’s watching (but in front of millions). Which brings us to their set at Vice Island on Thursday night.

If there was one word to describe a Future Islands show, it would be the word joy. Everyone who saw them Thursday night broke out in a frenzy of smiles after the set. Having been around for a decade has allowed the band to refine itself into a tight sounding act that made all the tracks from Singles sound lively and awesome. Leading the charge was Samuel T Herring who got the crowd dancing within mere seconds of taking the stage. He pulled off all the moves we have come to love over the past few months, including

– the chest pounding
– the weird squatting / samoan looking crab dance
– the staring blankly into the night
– the mafia finger dance move
– the death metal voice

On a less sincere looking man, all those would seem gimmicky. On Future Islands, they seem real, and in the end, everyone can detect and appreciate that. We danced, we laughed, we sang along to that amazing single. A ridiculously fun set that brought happiness to everyone at the show. Can’t ask for more.

PrevPreviousNXNE Review: Guerilla Toss, Many Arms, June 18, The Great Hall
NextNXNE Review: Perfect Pussy, Horseshoe, June 20Next

SEARCH

FOLLOW US

Facebook Twitter Flickr Foursquare Rss Inbox

THE PAST

Archives

TAGS

Tags
British Music Embassy (10) Canadian Music Fest (11) canadian music week (18) cmf (10) cmw (40) concert (9) el mocambo (9) fringe (26) Great Lake Swimmers (10) guelph (9) horseshoe tavern (23) hot docs (103) jazz (12) Joel Plaskett (10) jukebox the ghost (15) lee's palace (27) marina and the diamonds (10) Massive Attack (10) mod club (12) NXNE (94) of monsters and men (11) Phoenix (15) play reviews (11) Pulp (11) Roskilde Festival (16) rural alberta advantage (10) sharon van etten (10) suede (12) summerworks (34) SXSW (479) SXSW 2022 (11) SXSW 2024 (11) SXSW Online (18) the antlers (11) the cure (9) the national (10) the xx (11) Tokyo Police Club (9) Toronto (25) toronto fringe (14) Toronto Jazz Festival (55) turf (13) tweeview (10) Video (9) zeus (10)
The Panic Manual

We are a collective of individuals bringing you the latest in concert reviews, indie, britpop, Canadian, twee and all sorts of other music, movies, tv and everything else you like. Follow the manual to live a pleasant and fulfilling life.

All rights reserved