Franz Ferdinand @ House of Blues, Dallas, TX

Words and photos by Scott Rowe

Whenever I schedule shows for the MTC MAG team and/or myself, I typically look to see which artists are releasing anticipated albums, who are the hot bands/artists, and sometimes, I will look to see which of my favorite bands are coming through the DFW area. While I will focus almost solely on those first two criteria, I will, without shame, pencil my name in for a band I absolutely love and would have paid the full-ticket price to see perform. Franz Ferdinand is one of those bands. While the band did release an album earlier this year, the compilation Hits to the Head, it's more of an ode to the fantastic catalog of the Scottish five-piece rather than a new release, although it did include two new songs, "Curious" and "Billy Goodbye". Regardless of the circumstance in which they arrived the House of Blues in Dallas, I could not wait for this show and the next hour and a half proved why they are still one of the premier live bands in all the land.

As mentioned, the band were touring off their greatest hits release, Hits to the Head, which gives way to the ultimate, greatest hits set list. The band kicked off the show with "No You Girls", a song that really set the tone for the rest of the set. Vocalist and lead guitarist Alex Kapranos commands the stage with a presence that's rarely seen these days and he does it with such finesse and always with a smile on his face. With a career spanning more than twenty years including countless tours and festival stops, Kapranos shows no hitch in his giddy-up; that's Texas slang for no signs of slowing down.

The show was an absolute blast. A greatest hits set from a band with so many amazing songs is rare treat and I could not help but join the crowd in singing and dancing for the majority of show. Songs such as "Do You Want To", "Take Me Out", and "Ulysses" brought out some of the louder singalong moments of the night, but the icing on the cake were the last two songs of the encore, "The Fallen" and "This Fire". This one-two punch was simply a masterclass in live music performance. The energy within the House of Blues' Main Hall was at fever-pitch and the last two songs were a perfect bookend for a set that will replay in my mind for some time. I will always look forward to a stop from Franz Ferdinand and I highly recommend you to catch them whenever they're nearby.

Photos of the show are below:

enjoy.