The Futureheads - First Unitarian Church (Philadelphia, PA) - Tuesday, July 25, 2006

by Rachel Pesin
27 July 2006

I don’t know why, but I had a hunch that this show was going to be incredibly fun. I’ve seen THE FUTUREHEADS 11 times in less than two years (!!), so I knew I was in for a good time. But I never expected to have as much fun as I did.

For starters, the basement of the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia is the best setting for their new wavey, harmonizing pop-punk music: small (I’d say it holds a maximum of 200 people) and sweaty (read: no air-conditioning in 90-degree July weather).

Also, it seemed to me that the band have perfected the task of mixing songs off their new album with older ones. The newer songs are, at different times, slower and punkier than those from their first album, which are more immediately catchy. When I first heard the new songs live a month ago in June, they didn’t seem to fit in, and it wasn’t quite working. This time, however, they blended quite well, and simply fit together. They replaced the older “Le Garage” with the newer “Yes/No” for a more triumphant beginning, and it was all uphill from there.

If you’re not a fan of pogoing like a mad person and singing your heart out, than a Futureheads show is not for you. Unfortunately, on this night it seemed that a majority of the crowd simply showed up because there was a gig on, meaning they would have showed up for any old band. Many of them didn’t seem to appreciate those of us who were turning that sweaty basement into a dance hall, but that was their loss. For those who were willing to let go of their inhibitions and get down, you couldn’t have asked for a better setting, a better band, or a better night. I doubt I’ll see a better show all year.

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