By Jodi Root

Despite the fact that I was home, in bed even, by 10:30 PM, I was exhausted all damned day. Regardless of my 8-full hours of shut eye, my body was flat out BEAT and worn the hell out. I had not danced my ass off harder for as long as I can remember—and for those of you who keep a tab on what shows I check, you realize I’m an aficionado for a solid, booty-shaking dance party. But last night, Franz Ferdinand BROUGHT it to Chicago’s Riviera Theatre.

The all-ages sold out set was a packed sea of bodies—many sporting the taboo band t-shirt (think 13-17 year olds), many $6 MGD party cup equipped fists, some older, confused lookin’ dudes (probably the tween crowd’s rides), but no matter what the age or demographic, all in the house were a-movin’ and a-shakin’ to the Scottish rock troupe’s beats. An elaborate full-stage multimedia screen grid propped the background, as several bright and variant flash images illuminated the set—ranging from actual music videos (“Ulysses”), to Tron-like neon green etch-a-sketch grids, sexy dancing ladies and Lisa Frank like graphics. The set was flat out dope.

But no matter how cool the aesthetics may have been, the attention was right where it was deserved—on the stellar, upbeat dance sequences that were erupting from this group of talented indie rockers. FF took to the stage somewhere between 8:15 and 8:45ish—kicking things off to a roaring crowd, when guitarist Nick McCarthy led the way out, crutches proudly held up high in the air, smile on face. The other three-quarters followed directly behind, and wasted no time kicking into the 17-song set with their debut album’s opening track, “Jacqueline.”

The sound quality was A+, which isn’t always the case for the Riv, and for the first time ever, I was able to see the entire stage from the center ground floor (again, probably because I was one of the eldest in attendance). It’s so easy to forget how fun shows really can be with the right audience—no crossed arms, bobbing heads here—just swanky dance moves and lots of clap-along fests. This was honestly the most fun I’ve had at a concert in years—quality visuals, high energy performance, several jam sessions, interactive crowd—but it also didn’t hurt that front man Alex Kapranos was a total charming dreamboat, either (Huh-low, Shi-kah-go! Thahnks to Bawn Roofie-awns!).

From song number one to seventeen, the majority of the show is a blur. I know massive dancing ensued, smiles were aplenty, and it was a non-stop party. The fourteen song set included an equal blend of new tracks from “Tonight: Franz Ferdinand,” as well as both ‘05’s “You Could Have It So Much Better” and of course, 04’s self-titled break-out debut. The encore was downright incredible—kicking off with “What She Came For,” leading into the full-jam-tripped out “Lucid Dreams” and closing, ironically enough, with “This Fire”—(I wonder if these Scots did this on purpose and caught up on their history lessons of the Windy City).
Other highlights from the night included my personal faves “Michael,” and “Bite Hard,” as well as everyone else’s faves the never-endingly catchy “Take Me Out” and iPod track “No You Girls.” Full set list is below (with the exception of song #3 thanks to my crumby Hannah Montana notebook page that mysteriously disappeared).

Discuss: Did anyone make it in time for opener Born Ruffians? What were your highlights from last night?

1. Jacqueline
2. No You Girls
3. (Lost in Jodi’s purse somewhere)
4. Turn it On
5. Michael
6. Twilight Omens
7. Do You Want To
8. Walk Away
9. The Dark of the Matinee
10. Bite Hard
11. Take Me Out
12. Ulysses
13. 40′
14. The Outsiders
Enc 1: What She Came For
Enc 2: Lucid Dreams
Enc 3: This Fire

Previously: Review: Tonight: Franz Ferdinand

Myspace: Franz Ferdinand
++
Buy: Tonight:Franz Ferdinand

By Pete Donahue

It’s been over three years since Franz Ferdinand dropped You Could Have Had It So Much Better, but Glasgow’s dance-rock quartet are no longer in hiding, working on new material. Today marks the release of their newest album, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand. Does the record hold up? Is it just more new-wave/dance rock? Fair questions, but only one should matter: is it good?

Picture this: the band’s self-titled debut album and You Could Have Had It So Much Better were the records you’d get drunk to and dance, dance, dance the night away with your friends (at least that’s what I saw a lot of during college in New York). So Tonight: Franz Ferdinand is the record you put on as you get ready to go out and get drunk and dance. While it’s still an album you can shake and groove to, the music has expanded to include more instruments, sleeker production (courtesy of Dan Carey), and to take chances. Oh, and there are a lot of synthesizers, too.

The first single is also the first song, “Ulysses.” For some reason, it’s not a favorite of mine, but I can see why it’s been chosen to re-introduce us to the band that’s got a few excellent singles to their name (including ones not on any albums). “Ulysses” is slow and starts with a keyboard and minimal drum shuffle, building up into a bona-fide Franz-signature dance track loaded with heavy keys and whispered vocals. With singer Alex Kapranos boasting “I found a way/I found a new way/C’mon doll and use me/I don’t need your sympathy,” the track recounts a wild night out on the town. One thing I notice is the lack of guitars on the song, which ends up being a running theme through the entire album. It appears Nick McCarthy has grown very fond of thick-sounding analog keyboards, and by no means do I find that a bad thing.

Following “Ulysses” is “Turn It On,” a great upbeat banger with a little hint of voyeurism and a great sing-along chorus (“Ya know I’d follow you to Rome/I know the places you go home!”). The verses rely mostly on a beefed up bass to carry the song with the occasional sci-fi keyboard bit before some rhythm guitar helps with the chorus. Like many songs off Tonight, it’s all about the beat.

“No You Girls” is a classic Franz-sounding lament about the trails and tribulations that come with chasing women and the wonderful pain caused by the opposite sex. The chorus is a straight-up dance affair with a huge vocal presence (“No you girls never know/How you make a boy feel, you girls’ll never know!”) and is one of the best the album offers. Fans of the no-nonsense dance tracks of Franz yesteryear like “Take Me Out” will instantly gravitate towards this track.

“Send Him Away” is an interesting little number; sounding like the band’s take on 70′s AM radio pop, it’s benefits from a cool electric piano lick and is rather breezy and easy going. Definitely a break from the upbeat dance tracks, the song culminates in a Santana (yeah, Santana)-like jam off with funky guitar licks and crashing drums augmented by more percussion and psychedelic keyboards. Really, really cool stuff here and a welcomed introduction into the band’s arsenal of sounds.

While “Twilight Omens” is lead by a funky synth line that sounds like it was recorded underwater, it does contain a little loud electric guitars in the chorus. Backed by a solid clean piano, I would like to point out the song does contain one of the funniest Franz Ferdinand lines I’ve ever come across: “I typed your number into my calculator/Where it spelled a dirty word when you turn it upside down/You can turn my dirty world the right way ’round.” It’s also another slower number, but it sneaks along with just enough sex appeal to get maybe a few drunk enough on the dance floor.

“Bite Hard” starts off with a very slow Alex Kapranos vocal and piano reminiscent of “Eleanor, Put Your Boots On,” but opens up into an awesome straight-forward rock and roll song one could proper dance to. I honestly picture it the kind of rock song people at Studio 54 in Manhattan would dance to in the 70′s because it has a great retro feel – more electric piano and an analog synth lead so thick you need to insert your own cliche to describe how thick it is. There’s also a great arena-rock guitar solo loaded with a phaser that gives the song a great loud feel.

“What She Came For” is another mid-tempo dance number with a sing-along question (“Woah, boy, look out/You’re what she came for!”). Luckily, the loud part of the band’s sound is here in full-force with a serious twin-guitar rock out at the end that harks back to 80′s CBGB punk.

“Live Alone” is another contender for Best on Album. It’s more or less a disco song with a very pulsing bass line, ride cymbal-mania in the chorus, and wonderful airy synths straight from the 70′s. There’s also more sci-fi sound effects that round out the retro vibe, as if the song were cut for a low-budget space movie with a dance scene. “Can’t Stop Feeling” also contains a serious bass line and catchy synth lead tailor-made for fancy shopping at H&M. There’s also a hearty dose of additional digital percussion that really shines with Carey’s input on Tonight.

“Lucid Dreams” is a near eight-minute space jam that’s one-half regular Franz dance-rock number and one-half digital psychedelic jam. If you’ve heard that crazy outro on “Nicotine & Gravy” off Midnite Vultures by Beck, then you will get the grasp. Crazy digital beats, spaced-out synths, wailing guitars – all-in-all, a really fun way to close out a song and a welcomed experiment.

The album closes with the acoustic ballad “Katherine, Kiss Me.” “You glance a ricochet from every alpha male behind me/Eyes like marbles on a washing machine/I wonder how the boy feels?” Kapranos asks. A very interesting, elegant album closer, considering the sweaty fury left by almost all of the other songs, but a worthy finale, too. Fans of quieter, whimsical Franz Ferdinand moments will appreciate “Katherine, Kiss Me” and rightfully so.

When I was in college at Binghamton University a few years ago, I remember the “new” nu-wave craze that brought us Franz, The Killers and Bloc Party. All three bands have now put out their third albums and I think while the Killers and Bloc Party are trying (maybe too hard?) to move away from the energy captured in their first albums, Franz has embraced it and still runs with it all the way to better and better songs. I applaud Tonight not as a Franz Ferdinand fan, but as a music fan.

Myspace: Franz Ferdinand
++
Buy: Tonight:Franz Ferdinand