Foster the People Brings Its New People to Miami

Foster the People is fostering more people.

Earlier this year, the L.A.-bred indie-pop outfit added multi-instrumentalists Sean Cimino and Isom Innis to its lineup, bringing the People total to four members.

But for fans of the group — and the group itself — this change isn’t a big to-do.

Cimino and Innis have been touring members since 2010, coming aboard after lead vocalist Mark Foster and drummer Mark Pontius formed the band in 2009.

“These guys [Cimino and Innis] have always been a very integral part of our group,” Pontius says. “Really it’s just a technicality.”

Where the spectacle might lack in adding two new permanent folks to the party, Foster the People is sure to make up for it at the end of the month. The band is slated to hit the Fillmore September 27 on the heels of its latest record, Sacred Hearts Club. The LP dropped July 21.

The new album is as catchy, smile-inducing, and groove-worthy as prior Foster the People goodness, psychedelically complementing a catalogue that already includes “Pumped Up Kicks,” “Houdini,” and “Sacred Hearts.”
“[Before this tour], we had some time off the road for a lot of reflection,” Pontius says. “It feels good to be out on the road again... and it’ll be good for me to be down in Florida.”

Pontius is a native of Orlando, and for him, like many of you reading this, the days surrounding Hurricane Irma's landfall in Florida were nerve-wracking. Pontius’ mom still lives in Orlando, and she decided to ride out Irmageddon at home. "She’s a tough cookie and wasn’t having any of that evacuation stuff," he notes. “But she’s fine."

Pontius and his crew apparently have that same hearty spirit. Though other bands have canceled upcoming South Florida shows, Foster the People has no plans to bail.

“The through line through this whole new record — and our intention of playing music live — is that even in a hopeless-at-times seeming world, we can try to bring as much joy as we can,” Pontius says. “Joyfulness can be used as a weapon — and we can pull something positive off in dark times. And whether our show was happening or not, we wanted to be down there to be available. We would help rebuild or do whatever we could for the day.”

Sounds like Foster the People really is a band for the people.

Foster the People. 8 p.m. Wednesday, September 27, at the Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-673-7300; fillmoremb.com. Tickets cost $29.50 via livenation.com.