FNX Hearts Hipsters

FNX has been on a roll lately, hosting two of the biggest indie bands on the scene right now, Band of Horses and Vampire Weekend. Both bands have a reputation for appealing to a hipster crowd, and while tight jeans, ironic T-shirts, and beards (oh-so many beards) were indeed prevalent at both shows, the main focus has been on the unique sound of both acts.

Band of Horses was one of the recently affected by the Axis/Avalon phenomenon that forces bands to choose between a too big (Orpheum) or too small (Paradise) venue. The Paradise was absolutely packed to the gills for this show, but what surprised this Bostonist the most was the quality of the crowd. Everyone we talked to was very knowledgeable about the band and their music; judging from the overall enthusiasm it seemed that a good portion of the crowd was familiar with both BoH albums and not there simply for their recent hit "Is There A Ghost." The heavily-bearded rockers didn't disappoint, giving the audience a full set that included almost their entire catalog. They rocked with such hits as "Ode to LRC" and "Great Salt Lake", while letting Ben Bridwell's hauntingly beautiful voice take center stage on slower, deeper numbers such as "The Funeral," and "No One's Gonna Love You." We found many who agreed that the band's country-twinged sound encouraged a few too many Pabst Blue Ribbons, and a show that great certainly had no business being on a Wednesday night.