Family Force 5 9.17.09 | House of Blues | Chicago, IL by Ashley Snider photos by Annette Essey Having been to a few Family Force 5 shows, I had an idea of what to expect at the kickoff show of the Dance Rawr Dance 3 Tour in Chicago. What I expected was this: an over the top, crazy costumed, sweet dance move inducing party of a show. And like I expected, Family Force 5 delivered. The band usually performs in coordinated outfits, and these outfits are always eye popping. This time, the boys of FF5, perhaps in excitement of the beginning of the NFL season, decided to wear football themed outfits. This included mesh tank tops, tiny cut off pants, and huge shoulder pads. Oh, and let’s not forget the signature black paint under the eyes. Yes, Family Force 5 designed themselves as a football team for this tour, complete with a referee (their guitar tech sported the black & white stripes). I got as much pleasure out of the show as I did watching the band members dance around with shoulder pads on.
Family Force 5 always brings fun into their performances. Lead singer Solomon Olds, AKA Soul Glow Activator, never stopped dancing. You’d be surprised at how talented all of the members are in their dancing abilities. The show was full of break dancing, hip thrusting, and slow motion fight sequences. The fans even joined in, making “dance pits” alongside mosh pits.
The stand out song for me is always “D-I-E 4 Y-O-U,” mainly because it is a great mix of heavy riffs and dance. It’s like a great workout, full of jumping from foot to foot while air punching. “Get Your Back Off The Wall” always gets the crowd going, and “Dance or Die” is like the band’s anthem. Everyone in the crowd is encouraged to get down; even if they are those who have horribly awesome dance moves (such as myself). That makes a Family Force 5 show always enjoyable, no matter how many times you see them. Check out the full set of Family Force 5 pics. >> www.myspace.com/familyforce5