French Police took the Cornerstone stage by storm for their sold-out show in Berkeley this week! The band recently completed a European leg of tour and is now touring across California. Securing their place in the zeitgeist at last yearβs Cruel World Festival, French Police will conclude the month with performances in Paris, France before returning back to Chicago, IL. Their background as Mexican-American drive many songs to include a beautiful weaving of both English and Spanish lyrics. Their synth sound gives a nod to late β70s and β80s post-punk while having a dark, indie theme all of its own. The backlit blue lighting set the moody tone for the night.
Nevada-based band Social Order started off the evening with high energy. With Andrew Ward on guitar, Mason Musso on vocals, and Anthony Improgo on drums, the contagious energy spilled into the crowd. Their dark-wave, post-punk beats had the fans dancing and jumping. Social Order played their single βBoysβ and songs from their 2025 EP Miss You including βLights Off,β which got the crowd jumping and singing along. They will also be playing at Cruel World Fest on May 17th, 2025 in Pasadena, CA. Their sound set the scene perfectly for the moody indie French Police sound.
Before French Police took the stage, the crowd buzzed in excitement as fans connected with one another about their passion for music. The band consists of three members: songwriter and vocalist Brian Flores, guitarist Manny Herrera and bassist Rolando Donjuan. From the disco ball dropping to the crowd forming a mosh pit when Flores asked them to βbring it!β, the crowd pulsed as one. On stage, all members of French Police sported their iconic shades and leather jackets as they rocked out on their guitars. When asked about the sunglasses, Flores replied, βthey never come off. Itβs part of the costume.β Many fans even whipped out their own shades and black leather to match the bandβs aesthetic. The band continues to release new music at a fast pace including album Bully last year and EP ESPERA this year. During the show, they performed older songs and newer songs alike. They displayed their wide variety of releases by taking the audience on a journey of their music throughout the years with hits like βVampiroβ from 2021 Haunted Castle (Extended Play), βHUNNYβ from 2023 album BLEU, and more recent releases such as βFRENCH TIPSβ from their newest EP. They also played songs that kicked off their career in the public eye such as βClock Manβ and βJe Te Veuxβ from their 2019 EP Pedaleo Nocturno. There were no breaks between songs, so the entire night felt like one song wrapped together as the songs flowed seamlessly from one to the next. As soon as French Police stepped off the stage, the crowd started chanting βOne more song! One more song! One more song!β
After the show, fans excitedly waited in line to meet the band. French Police greeted fans with smiles, hugs and genuine interest. They took the time to get to know the audience, sign vinyl, and take photos with their fans after the show. They showed extreme generosity in their time and genuine curiosity in getting to know their fans, all while maintaining their laid-back, cool mystique. The piece that truly set the band apart was their kind patience. They truly wanted to hear from their fans and connect with them on a personal level.
