Photo by Katherine Heriges
It’s often said that Nashvillians are hard to impress at a rock show. Nashville crowds are often prone to lifeless head-bobbing, or perhaps a little too much commentary on the band of the night. Everyone’s a critic here.
That’s why it was a breath of fresh air to be present at 12th and Porter Thursday night for The Future‘s album release show – nobody was busy being too cool, and everyone was moving their feet. The audience was almost half as lively as The Future’s electrifying frontman, Adam Culver, who moves across the stage like James Brown tweaking on Four Loko.
Culver and his band mates – bassist Jordan Culver, guitarist Eric Sadowsky and the bespectacled, bowtied Bryan Feece – commanded the audience not by begging everyone to clap their hands, but with the sheer energy they projected during the entire duration of the show. Songs that fell somewhat flat on the band’s newest album, Grow Young, suddenly rose to new heights. The Future knows how to put on a rock show.
They highlighted some of the best tracks from the album, including the haunting "Man of the People" (which was more rocking and less creepy in a live setting), "Don’t You Dare" and "Come on Down," the album’s closer. They also played a fantastic, soulful rendition of Sam Cooke’s "Bring it on Home to Me," which they transitioned into a much less successful cover of Cooke’s "A Change is Gonna Come." The Future’s set was short but effective, which was a blessing as they were the fourth and last band of the night.
The Future shared the staged with Oh No No, Stagolee, and Kink Ador, all out of Nashville. Oh No No were incredibly fun and offered some choice moments, but the real surprise of the night was Kink Ador and their ridiculously talented lead singer/bassist, Sharon Koltick. In two or three years’ time, there’s no reason that Kink Ador shouldn’t be opening for a blockbuster band on tour. – Katherine Heriges