High Fives for Family Force 5

People often ask me, “What’s your favorite type of music?” And my answer is always the same: “I don’t have a favorite type! I have favorite bands!!” And then I proceed to rattle off Jason Mraz, The Rocket Summer, Pierce The Veil, All Time Low, Valencia, and any other band that immediately comes to mind.

Now if you’ve heard of any of the aforementioned bands, then you know they can’t possibly be classified under the same “type” of music (unless, of course, your type is KATIE’S FAVORITE BANDS)... they are far too different in music, lyrics, and overall purpose. And so I love them all in different ways – like most people, I choose what I listen to based on my mood and the goings-on in my life. If it feels right, I listen to it!

But lately I have not been able to define a right mood, nor easily choose what I want to listen to. I know I am very happy, but I’m also extremely focused and determined for things in my near future – pop music doesn’t seem to fit the bill. And so one day near the end of April I woke up with “Love Addict” by Family Force 5 stuck in my head. All I could ask myself was “why didn’t I think of this sooner?!”

I mean, DUH. DDUUHH! Family Force 5 is a Christian crunk band – they send a positive message through hardcore music. IT’S EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED. So I’ve listened to their CDs Business Up Front, Party In The Back or/and Dance Or Die on repeat practically every day over the past few weeks. They have kept me focused when ADD hits full-speed ahead!

I love to be able to smile enormously and maintain my good mood while listening to post-hardcore music. Sometimes I need a strong drive for my happy thoughts! There are not a lot of bands that facilitate this sort of experience, so I have Family Force 5 permanently in the #1 slot for whatever “type” of music they produce! Personally though, they are extraordinary enough to be classified by the name “Family Force 5” alone... no “type” required.

Anywho, when Tourantula rolled through town this past Wednesday (their current headlining tour), I was more than ready to rock out with Family Force 5. Since I saw them for the first time last December while they were on their headlining Christmas tour, I have not been able to stop talking about how much I love their music! I have told everyone who will listen that they put on the BEST live show aaand that anyone who loves concerts should get tickets whenever Family Force 5 comes to town. I would have been a filthy hypocrite had I not been in attendance.

Lucky for me, Buzznet and the one-and-only Jade (tour manager and all-around remarkable woman) got me a Tourantula hookup I had only ever dreamed of! I had full, exclusive access to shoot the VIP Arachnocoustica Pre-Show AND the Tourantula concert. HOW MARVELOUS! When Elise had sent me the good news last week, I was beaming! Happiness filled every corner of my apartment!! And it filled Elise’s inbox... she received many thank-you emails.

On Wednesday, my expectations of Family Force 5 were met and then exceeded! First, for Arachnocoustica (photo album here) I had anticipated a low-key acoustic set with a big crowd of people. But I got a fully-staged acoustic set with less than 30 other people. PLEASE AND THANK YOU! It was such a pleasure to hear them play “Radiator”, “Fever”, and their brand new song “You Got It” and feel as though it was just for me. (They may have played a fourth song, but I can’t remember. Oops.)

And to top it off, Jade personally introduced me to the band at this time and I got to have my picture taken with them! I love meeting new people, and when those “new people” are members of such an awesome band I LOVE IT EVEN MORE. I was a happy camper and the night had barely even started.

After half of Stereo Skyline (photo album here) and Swimming With Dolphins (photo album here) warmed up the crowd, Family Force 5 (photo album here) put the stage to the ultimate test. They had a stellar stage setup – Tourantula gear was outfitted on the front and back stage platforms – and class-A lighting! I was a satisfied photographer!

In summary, my five Favorite parts of Family Force 5 are each of the members; separately, each musician could rock his own stage. I kid you not! They are all overflowing with stage presence – their performing abilities are absolutely tremendous!! Did you hear me? TREMENDOUS!! It was often difficult for me to decide where to point my lens because each guy was worthy of my attention. I have come to find with some bands that they are so stationary every picture turns out relatively the same. But with Family Force 5, I had a wonderful selection of movement to choose from!

They rocked a 14-song setlist (including the encore) with only three breaks (including the one before the encore). THAT IS DEDICATION AND PERSERVERANCE. The crowd for the show was somewhat smaller than I had expected, but still a decent size. And Family Force 5 performed with the strength, energy, and charisma to be in an amphitheater. They are seasoned veterans when it comes to the music profession.

Now the best part of the night, even better than what I’ve already listed, was seeing their matching outfits. I cannot think of any bands that wear uniforms on stage, except for Family Force 5 – I love that about them! At the Christmas Pageant tour, the band wore plaid skinny jeans, white polos, black vests and top hats. For Tourantula, they rocked khaki pants and badass animal shirts. IT MADE ME SO HAPPY. I love when things match... I wish more bands would coordinate outfits. Imagine me even happier!?

I took pictures periodically during the whole set (we were only allowed in the narrow photo pit for the first three songs, then I moved to the exclusive balcony area), but took a break during “Love Addict” because that song deserved my undivided attention and “fabulous” dance moves (where “fabulous” means embarrassing for most people). When the encore was complete and the crowd dispersed, I was sad to see the show end. But I was completely and totally satisfied and fulfilled by what I had witnessed.

And I was jazzed that I got my hands on a copy of the brand new, limited edition III EP from Family Force 5.This three-song EP contains the new songs “Dang Girl”, “Wobble”, and “You Got It” (the play counts are already at 46, 25, and 37 respectively), which I listened to and enjoyed as I edited my many pictures of the night. Family Force 5 is currently working on new material (they record on their tour bus!) for their upcoming album III (yes, roman numeral three), which they hope to release in the coming months!

Be sure to check out my photo albums (linked throughout the post, or click here), and listen to Family Force 5 if you’ve never heard of them! They’re not your typical band, and that’s why they’ve taken over my iPod.