Penn State news by
Penn State's student blog

Topics

More

Foster the People Pumps Up The BJC To Kick Off Fall Concerts

On the eve of Penn State’s home opener against Akron, the Bryce Jordan Center opened its fall concert season on Friday night with a show by indie rock group Foster the People and special guest opener The Velvet Teen.

Touring in support of its latest album, Supermodel, Foster the People achieved a massive following with the crossover hit “Pumped Up Kicks.” The band’s debut album, Torches, received widespread acclaim for its masterful layering of synth-heavy indie rock, hip-hop, and R&B influences, and was considered by many to be one of the most influential albums in 21st century rock.

The show opened with the swelling guitar riffs of indie rock band The Velvet Teen. The high energy performance may have fell a bit flat, as most of the attendees were nodding their heads while more trickled onto the floor in anticipation of Foster the People.

Fosterairpointing

The crowd began chanting “Foster! Foster! Foster!” as the stage techs were finishing up their sound checks, and broke out into wild applause when the lights went dark. Ambient synth and heavy bass swelled as the lights flashed bright red and white and the band broke into its opening track “Best Friend.” The stage was surrounded by white plastic mountains that lit up in different colors throughout the set.

Bassist

Foster the People played a solid mix of its old and new material, hitting all the most catchy and popular tracks from Torches. In between songs, frontman Mark Foster joked about starting the new school year and became emotional when talking about how this audience will shape the future.

After playing nearly a two-hour set, the band left the stage and the lights went dim. The crowd began screaming for an encore before the band even left the stage. We all knew they wouldn’t leave without playing “Pumped Up Kicks.”

As the bassline started, the crowd went into a frenzy — jumping, dancing, and singing along to the chorus. Foster the People finished its set with “Don’t Stop” as people starting leaving the floor.

Wide feature

Foster the People put on an amazing high-energy performance, and the audience went right along with it. Let’s hope that this kicks off a new round of rock shows nicely in the coming year at the BJC.

Your ad blocker is on.

Please choose an option below.

Sign up for our e-mail newsletter:
OR
Support quality journalism:
Purchase a Subscription!

About the Author

Zack Rutstein

Penn State 5th-year Materials Science and Engineering student, Onward State Arts Editor, Musician

Follow on Another Platform
113kFollowers
157kFollowers
55.7kFollowers
4,570Subscribers
State College Links
Other posts by Zack

The Sing-Off Live Tour to Make BJC Stop

Contestants from NBC’s hit show The Sing-Off will perform at the BJC on February 28 as part of their inaugural Sing-Off Live Tour! The show features a cappella musicians performing unique renditions of today’s top hits. The live show will bring season 4 finalists as well as last year”s winner, the Pentatonix, to perform individual sets, group numbers, ultimate sing-offs, and a few new surprises.

Mike Wallz on The Layover and Life After College

Movin’ On Releases Second Student Survey

[Photo Story] Penn State vs. Northwestern

After a soggy football Saturday, we rounded up our favorite photos from Penn State’s win over Northwestern.

Penn State Relay For Life Raises $41,519.93 Virtually

The event was done virtually this year due to the coronavirus, however many teams still participated in the event remotely.

Where To Eat In State College Late At Night: Your Penn State Drunk Food Guide

From tacos to pizza to egg rolls, State College has it all when it comes to late-night drunk food.

[Photo Story] Penn State vs. Northwestern

After a soggy football Saturday, we rounded up our favorite photos from Penn State’s win over Northwestern.

[Photo Story] Penn State vs. Northwestern

After a soggy football Saturday, we rounded up our favorite photos from Penn State’s win over Northwestern.

No. 11 Penn State Survives, Downs Northwestern 17-7

The Nittany Lions grinded through some ugly weather to advance to 5-0 on the season.

Gameday Coverage: No. 11 Penn State vs. Northwestern

Get ready for some ugly weather in Happy Valley.

 
Send this to a friend