While I was in Seattle, I was lucky enough to see Fruit Bats play on their home soil. They’re from Washington, and obviously love playing gigs close to their home base. This became apparent once they hit the stage and started playing.

Lead singer Eric Johnson, who is now also a member of the band The Shins, was incredible. His vocals were strong yet whimsical, and each song lived up to its studio counterpart. I’d have to say that the highlight of the evening was when they played “Tegucigalpa” (my favorite song by them). This song is an amazing example of what makes Fruit Bats such a special band. Johnson’s vocals are dominant while pleasant instrumentals act as a nice compliment.

The crowd seemed more like a London bunch than one you would usually find in the US. What I mean by that is that while everyone was obviously enjoying the set, there was little singing and dancing going on. Unlike in the UK, however, we got a bit more involved in the music by clapping along. The band encouraged this throughout the show. Maybe it’s just me, but I really like it when a band get the audience clapping and singing (if you want to hear exactly what’s on the album, go listen to your iPod).

Just as most bands do, Fruit Bats reappeared on stage after their final song for an encore. They made a joke of it by commenting on how they pretended to leave. Funny. Well, it was an impressive encore as they played three songs to the crowd’s delight. Once they got off stage, it was clear by looking around that I was surrounded by a very content group of people. Great show from Fruit Bats!