Credit: Photo by Gary Miller

Foster the People

Zilker Park, Sept. 16

Chances are Mark Foster didn’t realize he’d be fostering quite so many people baking in the Friday afternoon sun and shimmying to the pumped-up beats of the super-hot L.A. trio. Kicking off a set that drew almost entirely from major label debut Torches, Foster demonstrated his talent not only as a musician, but also as a perpetual motion machine as he stalked, boogied, and bounced to “Houdini,” “Miss You,” and “Call It What You Want.” There was little deviation from the studio recordings, which led some to ponder why they were standing here sizzling when they could be listening to “Waste” in the air-conditioned comfort of a car. Set closer “Pumped Up Kicks” offered a little variety as the band milked its hit for squeals with various tempo changes and a cherry on top: Foster leaping into the crowd for a late-afternoon surf.

This article appears in September 23 • 2011.

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