Scottish band Franz Ferdinand are known for quite a lot of mid aught’s nostalgia: popularizing fringe haircuts for men, 2004’s breakout hit “Take Me Out,” and an indie rock sound that harkens back to the second Bush era.

With a legacy so heavily steeped in a particular period of time and an increasing amount of years between albums, one might think Franz Ferdinand would show signs of slowing down on this tour. Yet the only challenge they really seemed to face was that sometimes, lead singer Alex Kapranos was restricted to stand at his mic because the song required him to sing and play the guitar at the same time. Otherwise, he could be found spinning and strutting across the stage in a way that had fans up and moving the entire set.

It’s always difficult when an act has one song that they’re most well known for: a syndicated radio hit that even non-fans have heard. It looms like a cloud over the setlist: should they open with it, and get everyone excited early, even if energy peters out later? Or maybe close the set with it, even if it means a crowd checking their watches the whole time?

This doesn’t seem to be a concern for Franz Ferdinand, who slipped mega-hit “Take Me Out” so seamlessly into a set list comprised mostly of songs from newest release The Human Fear that it took fans a moment to register they’d started playing it. (Of course, when they did realize it, energy levels went from high to nuclear). 

Fans were just as excited for newer tracks “Build it Up” or “Night and Day” as they were for classics like “The Dark of the Matinée” and “No You Girl.” They followed Take Me Out with their most recent song, 2025’s “Hooked,” and you could hardly tell the songs were nearly a decade apart in age from the crowd reaction, with fans echoing the songs’ chanting “you got me/hooked!” chorus.

What really sells Franz Ferdinand as a live act is their infallible on-stage confidence. It’s a kind that comes from knowing your performance is so strong, that even if the entire crowd did come just to hear your biggest hit, they wouldn’t be leaving after it.