Fang Island U.S. Headline Tour – TOUR REVIEW

We had the pleasure of being able to go out to the Chicago date of Fang Island’s U.S. headline tour with Dinosaur Feathers at the Beat Kitchen! Check out our review of the show after the break.

Chicago’s Beat Kitchen is one of the city’s most intimate venues and certainly one of my favorites. I have seen everything from acoustic to indie to metal there and the sound is always great, the beers always cold and its open hardwood floor set-up and 2-3 foot stage make it easy to worm your way up front, even at a crowded show. And the Fang Island show was crowded, though not as crowded as I expected.

I arrived around 10:30, which means I missed Like Pioneers. I’ve heard good things, but have never seen them and honestly, I have no idea what they sound like. My buddy Sam and I grabbed a few Blatz and headed into the performance area. Dinosaur Feathers were on and they gave off a pretty good vibe; a little Vampire Weekend, but not quite as hectic. It was just three guys, two up front trading vocals while manning the bass and guitar duties with the drummer situated in the back. They were upbeat, their sound tight, and the crowd seemed to enjoy them, though the rather subdued reactions at the end of each song could have made you wonder otherwise. It became clear a short time later that all the energy was being saved for Fang Island.

I have waited almost four years to see these guys, ever since I was randomly given their Sky Gardens EP and told to give it a spin. I’ve been hooked since that record and remember listening to it over and over as I drove too and from work. Since that short, three-song release, they have honed their craft and incorporated more and more vocals into their epic, sunshine-soaked, major-key-metal-rock. It can be difficult to describe; Fang Island have created one of the most unique sounds I can think of…it’s like someone gave the Polyphonic Spree some Iron Maiden records and some speed.

While the band may have tried really reigning in the song-writing on their latest record, Major, all the energy you would expect in a live setting is their in spades. They have three guitar players and they know how to use them! That’s probably the best thing I can say about their show from a technical standpoint. From a performance standpoint, they were off the charts. Their 45 minute set ran the gamut of everything they have released with the songs from Major offering natural valleys to the swells reached during tunes from their self-titled album. And all that energy that was missing from the crowd during Dinosaur Feathers? It came pouring out of the crowd in the form of spastic dancing, an all-smiles mosh pit, and elated sing-a-longs. “Sideswiper” from their self titled release was a natural crowd pleaser, as was “Daisy”, with the crowd helping out with raised voices any chance they could. The set was over way too quickly but the sense of satisfaction it offered was tremendous; the wait was worth it and I can not recommend going to see Fang Island enough.

Information about the tour…
Tour: Fang Island U.S. Headline Tour
Bands: Fang Island and Dinosaur Feathers
Reviewer: Ian Lashbrook
Date: July 27, 2012
Venue: Beat Kitchen in Chicago, IL