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Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Molly Kish //

Franz Ferdinand with Cate Le Bon //

Fox Theater — Oakland, CA

October 28th, 2014 //

Franz Ferdinand kicked off the North American leg of their tour this past Monday night at the Fox Theater Oakland, and we were on site, dancing ourselves into a nostalgic frenzy with the with the early weeknight crowd.

Opener Cate le Bon, (with her touring band) got the crowd fired up, playing a short but sizzling set of material from her three full lengths and highlight tracks off her latest release, Mug Museum. Although relatively new in the mainstream American market, the Welsh singer-songwriter has been making her rounds in the European festival circuit and as a supporting act for various UK artists for several years now. Beyond her commanding vocals and impressive guitar training, le Bon had the stage presence of a seasoned veteran. Directing her supporting band members into a distorted blues jam, she impressed the Monday night crowd with her howling choruses and front woman confidence.

Franz Ferdinand took the stage with little to no set up and in their matching, freshly-pressed monochromatic suits. Running with a similar aesthetic to that of other European bands of their breakthrough era, (ie: Hives, Jet, etc.) this definitely wasn’t their first rodeo. Further exemplified by a nearly two hour set list of greatest and latest hits off of their latest release, Right Words….

Their minimalistic set design staged the perfect backdrop for a show that was just as much a visual experience as it was an auditory one. Franz Ferdinand incorporated Dadaist movement-themed graphics and geometric art deco patterns into their light show. Highlight moments included crowd sing-a-longs to hits off the band’s 2004 self-titled album, an extended version of “Can’t Stop Feeling”, which trailed off into a Donna Summer disco hook from her 1977 hit “I Feel Love”, and an encore version of Blondie’s “Call Me” with Cate Le Bon pairing up on vocals.