The Faint Dazzle In Austin

Post punk electronic masterminds, The Faint, showed their true colors and laser beam lights Saturday night in Austin, TX.

The now four man ensemble assembled to create a full spectrum dance party, complete with fans of all ages, and seemingly all walks of life. The Faint is touring in support of their latest release, “CAPSULE: 1999-2016”, which is a collection of songs spanning their catalog, as well as three new hard-hitting tracks. The band made a mid-tour stop at Emo’s, whose new location is south of downtown.

Opening the show was Santa Fe’s one man band, the talented Travis Egedy, known as Pictureplane. Under dim lights, and ready to groove, Pictureplace presented intricate, interesting beats, paired with clever vocals. A few passionate Pictureplane fans filled the front row, singing along to every single piece of Alien Body prose.

Next to the stage were UK legends, Gang Of Four. The four fellows took to the stage with attitude and talent to match, coming full force with energy and passion. Long-time guitarist, Andy Gill, stared starkly into the crowd as he slammed on, dropped, and strummed his electric guitar, emitting a unique and lasting impression. It sounded as though Gang Of Four had fully come into their own sound, with sharp chords, heavy rhythm, and a slinking bass line.

Several fans in the audience remarked afterwards, reflections such as, “I saw them back in the day, and now they are even better!”

Finally to the stage were The Faint, the men of the hour.
The exuberant and animated characters grooved and dance just as hard as the knowledgeable audience, presenting songs throughout their catalog, as well as recently released tracks. As per usual, The Faint’s light display was second to none. Strobing beams and pulsating lasers layered a perfect effect to the band’s rocking synth sound.

Always a hit, the crowd was sent into a frenzy with catalog classics such as “Paranoiattack”, and “Agenda Suicide”. All the while, every audience member echoed back the emphatic lyric, “Like a cast shadow!”

The Faint will be wrapping up their tour in the southwest and northwest, then ending on a sure to be epic night in their hometown of Omaha, NE.

With new music and a live show as jamming as ever, it seems the sky (or skylabs) are the limit for this band that’s sure to have more in store.

Words and photos by: Tiffany Cuthrell