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.