Live Review: The Front Bottoms @ The Foundry

The fact that it was a humid summer Sunday night wasn’t enough to keep hundreds of people from heading down to The Brightside to see American indie rock darlings The Front Bottoms. The final date on their Australian tour saw the band playing to a sold out crowd, full of energy and excitement.

The band pulled out all the stops, with the 4-piece relentlessly giving their infectious energy to the sweating crowd, who were enjoying every moment. Known for their upbeat, catchy music which contrasts against poignant lyricism, The Front Bottoms played countless crowd favourites, including Au Revoir and Peach, with the crowd loudly singing along.

Many cups of water were handed over the bar, as sweating fans emerged from the front of the crowd, sweat and smiles across their faces, while others sought the much-coveted positions next to the venue’s fans and air conditioner. The heat seemed to make the energy in the room feel more intense, with the people who remained pressed against the stage for the entire set showing their dedication to the band.

The band played well, with vocalist/guitarist Brian Sella showing off his pipes, which were showed their remarkably similar to their recordings.  Each member played their parts with a precision and energy that showed that they clearly knew what they were doing and were loving every minute of it.

The band closed their set with their hit single Twin Sized Mattress, which caused an uproar of cheering and whooping from the crowd at the commencement of the song, and a chorus of voices singing back the words as it continued. After it ended, Sella announced he was heading backstage to chug a beer before coming back on to play a few more songs.

It was a warm, sweaty show, but it was clear by the energy of the crowd that that didn’t matter. Everyone seemed super happy to be there, and to say au revoir to The Front Bottoms, on their last Australian show for the tour.