Foster the People kick off tour in Seattle

We headed over to the historic Paramount theater to catch our first show there for 2025. We were excited to see Foster the People play as it’s been many years since the last time, we caught them live. This was the first night of the Paradise State of Mind tour, so it felt even more exciting to check out the opening night. The project that Mark Foster created back in 2009 took him all over the world with the massive hit, “Pumped Up Kicks.” It’s been a long time since the release of Torches but listening to the new album the feeling is still there, and the music is good.

The night kicked off with Good Neighbours, another band that we’ve been wanting to see for a while after an incredible 2024. The duo consisting of Scott Verrill and Oli Fox took the world by surprise with the release of “Home” last January. The song has gathered more than 480 million global streams and 2 billion views on TikTok for videos including the song. The sound felt very homogenous with Foster, and it set the tone for the rest of the night.

The band was just as good as we expected, and the audience was really thrilled to have them. They played songs off their eponymous EP and a few new tracks including “Ripple,” and “Daisies” that they played right after the earworm, “Home.” I feel like they were such a good pairing with Foster and very talented. This is probably the band we’ll be listening to all summer so keep an eye out. The music and vibe are fresh, and we can’t wait for them to return again at their own headlining show.

It was time for the main act to take the floor a little after 9 o’clock and as the lights dimmed the stage looked like it became a dance floor. Foster walked to the front of the stage and went into “Feed Me,” as he danced around in his nice black shoes. The stage was very simple with the band spaced out and a row of lights in the back. No video or projection were present, and this was a little refreshing to see. The lights changed into different colors and created different designs throughout the night creating a very good but simple match to the music. Mark Foster was full of energy and was dancing the whole night commanding the crowd to follow his lead.

You could see people dancing on the main floor throughout the night, but what was really telling of the show was that when I went upstairs to check out the balcony I was caught by surprise because everyone was standing dancing around. That’s something I don’t usually see in the balcony as it’s usually a more chill place to enjoy the music so was a pleasant surprise. I guess you can’t really sit around when you’re listening to “Helena Beat,” “Call it What You Want,” and “Houdini.”

This was definitely a night that brought me back to a different period in my life. A great one, filled with good music and dancing. The ride was really good, and we remained there excited until the end of the show following the band’s lead. The main set ended with “Glitchzig,” as the dedicated fans waited patiently for the band to return for the encore. They finished with “Sit Next to Me,” and classic, “Pumped Up Kicks,” as Foster pumped us up and let the crowd sing a couple of chorus rounds.

The scene was set, and Foster the People took us on a musical journey like no other. It’s so refreshing to see a band you enjoyed in the past that still releases great music that can still captivate you the same. This was great way to start the year with these two amazing bands. If they are near you make sure you go to this show, you won’t regret it. It’s a dance party you want to attend.