AXIS|OF|LIVE

Franz Ferdinand is growing awfully fond of “secret” shows. The band’s New York gigs never stay secret for long, however, and such was the case with a quickly sold-out showcase at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg on October 8th. Consider it a gift to the tri-state area’s fan base, which filled the 550-capacity Music Hall to hear a mix of old favorites and new tunes from Franz’s upcoming third LP, Tonight. The crowd mainly consisted of older folks who didn’t let a little thing like maturity get in the way of rocking out to Franz Ferdinand, a band that has treated New York City like its second home in recent years.

After a short opening set by Brooklyn band caUSE co-MOTION, Franz took the stage looking refreshed from their hiatus and excited to play. Their set included brand new songs, as well as tunes previously played at their 2007 show at Bowery Ballroom, re-worked and re-mastered for Tonight. Lead singer Alex Kapranos looked as if he’d taken a dip in the Fountain of Youth, smirking, leaping and swaying his way through a set that he just knew would kill the joint dead. Lead guitarist Nick McCarthy spent more time on the keys than usual, as synth-heavy songs such as “Turn It On” and “Bite Hard” allowed him to show off his many talents (not the least of which is dancing wildly while playing, constantly flailing his busy legs). Kapranos looked particularly confident during the last song before the encore, “What She Came For,” strutting about the stage and twirling his hands in the air, gesturing in time with the beat. The man knows when he has a hit on his hands, that’s for sure.

Though the set was largely lacking in songs from the band’s second album, You Could Have It So Much Better, a number of hits were sprinkled in, including fan-favorites “Matinee” and “The Fallen,” and the earth-shattering “Take Me Out,” which never fails to get people on their feet, jumping towards the ceiling. The live version of “Outsiders” is now missing its signature mark: the flying squirrel-leap of Andy Knowles, the band’s honorary fifth member for years, who’s now moved on to other things. Though Knowles’ absence was noticeable, the rest of the band made up for it at the end of the song—Kapranos, McCarthy, and bassist Bob Hardy joined Paul Thomson at the drums, pounding out a tight and heavy rhythm as a foursome.

The grand finale of “This Fire” had everyone freaking out on the floor; it’s a song that still sounds fierce after all this time—“all this time” being a mere four years or so. It’s amazing how far the boys of Franz Ferdinand has come during their relatively brief time in the spotlight, not to mention how eager they are to reward their most loyal fans with these small, intimate shows. For a band that’s been to the top of the world and back, they’re extremely down-to-earth. It was a joy to share in their excitement over their new work before they set forth to conquer the world once again in the upcoming year.

View Nicole's full set of photos at Flickr, here .