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Franz Ferdinand Begin U.S. Tour

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Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand strutted and strummed their way through a grand performance at Seattle’s Moore Theatre Monday night, opening their 19-date national tour.

The quartet played a 90-minute set that featured a lot of their new album, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand.

The band started things off with the catchy “Do You Want To” and their brash new single, “No You Girls.” Unfortunately, the amplified sound at times overpowered frontman Alex Kapranos’ vocals, and suggestive lyrics like “Kiss me where your eye won’t meet me” were drowned out.

Throughout, Franz Ferdinand demonstrated their flair for theatrics. On older songs like “Take Me Out,” the band — also featuring guitarist/vocalist Nick McCarthy, bassist Bob Hardy, and drummer Paul Thomson — locked into a playful rhythm, with Kapranos and McCarthy trading riffs and dancing Saturday Night Fever-style with their electric guitars. The cocksure Kapranos — wearing both polka dots and plaid — swivelied his hips nonstop.

“Cheers! This is a Starbucks coffee cup, but there’s Scotch whisky inside,” Kapranos announced to an eruption of cheers when the band remerged for their encore. They launched into five more songs, the highlight of which was the pickup tune “What She Came For.” “I’ve got a question for you: Where do you see yourself in five minutes time?” Kapranos sang with a sly grin.

Then the boys abandoned their respective instruments to beat the hell out of the drums together, only to strap their axes back on and jam on a funk riff for five minutes.

Franz Ferdinand have a month’s worth of gigs — including Coachella — ahead of them. Considering the showmanship they displayed Monday night, they should strut through with relative ease — and get fans’ feet movin’ along the way.

More photos on page 2!

Setlist:
“Do You Want To”
“No You Girls”
“The Dark of the Matinée”
“Tell Her Tonight”
“Twilight Omens”
“The Fallen”
“Walk Away”
“Take Me Out”
“Turn It On”
“Darts of Pleasure”
“Bite Hard”
“40”
“Ulysses”

Encore:
“Jacquelyn”
“What She Came For”
“Outsiders”
“Lucid Dreams”
“This Fire”


Franz Ferdinand / Photo by Marcella D Volpintesta


Franz Ferdinand / Photo by Marcella D Volpintesta


Franz Ferdinand / Photo by Marcella D Volpintesta


Franz Ferdinand / Photo by Marcella D Volpintesta


Franz Ferdinand / Photo by Marcella D Volpintesta

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