Despite a lackluster turnout, Foster the People shined in their Friday night show at the Dome in Henrietta.
While the Dome’s glory years were in the early 1970’s, renovations over the past 18-months have turned this venue back into a potential hotspot for music-lovers. However, this transformation seemed to be lost on Rochesterians for Fridays show.
A lack of marketing, combined with the Dome still trying to earn a reputation with a younger crowd led to an audience that was well below the Dome’s capacity of 5,000 people.
With that being said, the improvements to the Dome made an impression to those who did attend the show. Ample parking spots and an aesthetically pleasing exterior gave way to a newly designed, contemporary interior. New concession and box office areas were well-staffed, spacious, and organized. The actual concert area was magnificent. A huge space, great acoustics, and a lighting structure that changed in sync with stage lights, created a very unique, fun atmosphere.
Foster the People played songs from their whole catalog, including tunes like “Lotus Eater” from their most recent album, Sacred Hearts Club, and classics like “Helena Beat,” and “Pumped Up Kicks,” which they closed with. Frontman Mark Foster proved to be a magnetic source of energy throughout the show. Foster brought passion to every note, dancing around the stage, pumping up the crowd, and hyping up his bandmates during their solos. With a small audience, Foster could have easily phoned in his performance, instead he commanded attention from start to finish.
In addition to his dynamic performance, Foster also had banter with the crowd about the arena.
“I’ve never played anywhere like this before,” said Foster, referring to the distinct shape of the Dome. “I’ve always wanted to come to Rochester and Upstate New York.”
Foster the People will continue to tour around the United States before taking their act to international audiences at the end of 2017 and throughout 2018.
As the Dome continues booking big acts and showcasing its countless improvements, its crowds will surely grow.
Datsik, G-Jones, and Bear Grillz are set to play at the Dome on October 28.
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