Franz Ferdinand Tickets

Despite the fact that it was pouring out and I'd forgotten my raincoat, my friends and I had the most amazing time at Malkin Bowl. I'm American and had never been to Vancouver before, but it blew my mind-- though the rain dampened our clothes, the crowd's enthusiasm was definitely not affected by the adverse weather. The sound quality was excellent-- we got to hear the sound check, seeing as it was an outdoor venue, and they spend a lot of time fiddling to make everything sound perfect. I generally dislike venues with a barrier that's far away from the stage; but it made sense, seeing how high up the stage was. I was right on the barrier and let me tell you, it makes all the difference-- especially for the short ones among us :) The guys were nothing short of amazing-- as always-- and did their best to come out as far as they could on the stage to get close to us, even though all their equipment had to be shoved back under the overhang. Alex Kaprano and Nick McCarthy's moves were in top form, and the sound was tight as ever. It was my fourth time seeing them live and it's definitely tied for best show with their April 13th 2009 gig at the Moore Theatre in Seattle, WA. Plus, with it being outside in the rain and the dark, with huge trees all around, the atmosphere was even more intense. The band is unbelievably energetic and charismatic onstage-- even Bob was moving around and getting into it. Everyone was dancing the entire way through, and people were polite enough to not go crazy with the shoving or crowding. The band played quite a few older favorites and some of the best songs off the new album. Now that they have three albums and countless b-sides, they can really pick out the cream of the crop to make the best show possible. Compared to their previous shows (I saw them in 2005 and 2007 as well) the new songs definitely create more of a darker, dancier, edgier atmosphere than the band used to have, but without losing any of the glorious fun and abandon they always exude. The extra synth parts and breakdowns are a marked difference, and it definitely works. It's nice to see them go off and break away from the structure of a song and just go mad with it. They've definitely got their own sound that's inimitable, despite how many have tried, and it's amazing to see how their music has evolved over the last five years Part of the reason Franz put on such great shows consistently is that they don't feel any need to act cool or posture-- they're having a great time onstage and it shows throughout. Especially when all four of them jump on the drum kit at the same time--an old Franz tradition-- you just get the feeling that they'd be making music no matter if nobody was listening. And that's the best kind of band out there. They are so well attuned with each other and with the audience-- Alex is especially great at getting the audience to participate in the songs throughout the entire show. And their encore was absolutely killer-- I don't think I've ever danced harder or jumped higher in my life. And for further proof of fan appreciation, they rewarded the few of us who remained after the gig (after the rain had started pouring harder than ever and prompted most people to leave after a half hour or so) by letting us come inside the venue and up onstage to hang out and chat for over an hour. They played for an hour and a half and the show ended at 9:30, but we didn't get out of there until 11:30 because they were just so darn nice. All four guys hung around and though I'd met them once before, it was nice to actually have a chance to have actual conversations with them. They're all lovely in person and are more than friendly, not to mention humble. They were surprised when my friends told them it was my birthday-- they couldn't believe I'd spent my night out in the rain watching them. If more bands could be like them, I think the world might be a much happier place, hah. It doesn't matter if they're playing for thousands (like at Bumbershoot in Seattle the following night) or for hundreds, Franz Ferdinand put on a fantastic show. But if you can, see them at a smaller venue! It really makes for the best experience and it's nice for them to play intimate venues in between the huge coliseums and stadiums. All in all, an A+ perfect night. Totally worth being soaked to the bone and cold for hours. I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

I have been to hundreds of concerts through the years, and this Franz Ferdinand at Vancouver's Malkin Bowl was definitely in the top 10.

The front band from Montreal, Family, was dynamic and set the tone for the show. The audience was having fun and being active yet decent. I was on the floor near the front and had a spectacular view. The main act, Franz Ferdinand, was even better than I thought they would be. They were fun, energetic and skillful. Good vocals with a wide range of slow to fast music made them a bit unique and really entertaining. They were excellent musicians, played long sets and every one was mezmerized and having a blast.