The Faint light up The Indy for a Doom Abuse “danse” party

Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Molly Kish

The Faint with Reptar, Darren Keen //
The Independent – San Francisco
June 1st, 2014 //

The Faint returned to the Bay Area this past Sunday, bringing their electrifying brand of “danse-punk” to the Independent in SF for a three night run. Celebrating the release of their long-awaited 2014 album Doom Abuse, the Omaha, Nebraska natives took the intimate venue by signature laser storm with help from opening acts, Reptar and Darren Keen.

Last time the electronic powerhouse came through the Bay Area in 2012, they were celebrating the 10-year anniversary re-issue of their seminal Saddle Creek album, Danse Macabre. Previously filling a venue more than three times the size of the Independent, it was no surprise that this year’s Doom Abuse triple night tour stop was a near-immediately sold out.

Known for their high energy performances and mesmerizing stage show, the foursome commanded the packed venue of combustible fans shouting along to a set list pulling from the band’s illustrious catalogue of over 15 years-worth of material. Todd Fink kicked off the evening with a howling rendition of “Animal Needs”, a brand new track off of their 2014 release. Accompanied by support from Jacob Thiele on vocals and keys, Clark Baechle’s inimitable drumming and the guitar ingenuity of Dapose, the band burst onto the stage and quickly into a full-throttle assault of classic hits and crowd favorites.

Their penetrating light show and disorienting visuals washed over the voracious crowd, who remained in constant motion throughout the entire performance. Highlight tracks included recently dropped single “Evil Voices”, a scream along mid-set delivery of “Dropkick the Punks”, and the distorted, symbiotic pairing of “Scapegoat” and “Worked Up So Sexual” to close out the initial set. Exiting the stage for a brief moment, The Faint returned for an encore of “Lesson from the Darkness”, “Paranoiattack” and “Glass Danse”, thrashing along with the sea of die-hard fans, punctuating the night with a raging dance party.