Scottish band Franz Ferdinand has had an amazing year. First, they released their debut self-titled album to both critical acclaim and extreme popularity. They became huge in Europe, selling out clubs all over, and were hailed as the next Strokes. Then they managed to do what few popular British acts can: they sold out shows here in the States as well.

Due to the success of their first American tour, Franz Ferdinand added a bunch of dates this fall, mostly hitting places they didn’t make it to the first time around (Minneapolis being one of them). When I went to see them last Wednesday at the Quest, I expected them to rock. And I wasn’t disappointed.

Unfortunately, what was originally billed as a 21+ show appeared to have been switched to all ages, and the experience was thus somewhat tainted by the scores of moshing fifteen-year-olds surrounding my friend and I. Though by the end of the show, fans of all ages and dancing preferences fell under the spell of Franz Ferdinand and became united in the spirit of rock.

The first thing that made this show special is that, for a change, both opening bands were extremely talented, with large fan bases of their own. The first was British band The Futureheads, who set the bar high for the evening with their excellent brand of Brit-pop/punk. They are certainly a band to watch. The second set came from Delays, the Southhampton quartet whose breezy pop recalls the Byrds combined with Bends-era Radiohead. They were not as fun to watch as The Futureheads, but lead singer Greg Gilbert’s voice captivated with its soaring Thom Yorke-eqsue beauty. They opened with the lead track from their album Faded Seaside Glamour, “Wanderlust,” and continued to play through the highlights of that album.

Then, finally, it was time for Franz Ferdinand. For a band that come off as introverted and nerdy in interviews, they were shockingly theatrical. Lead singer Alex Kapranos, clad in his traditional tight, belted slacks and equally form-fitting dress shirt, oozed sex appeal (despite his awkward-geek aura) and had fun with band members Nicolas McCarthy (guitar) and Robert Hardy (bass).

The band played through practically all of its debut album, doing their mega-hit “Take Me Out” surprisingly early in the set. The song, though I’ve heard it way too many times, remains instantly gratifying (the moment where the intro moves into the heavy beats of the chorus is pure pop mastery). Toward the middle of the set came the highlight, “Dark of the Matinee,” a song I believe to be their best. The song seemed fitting for the young audience, especially on lines like “I charm you and tell you/of the boys I hate/all the girls I hate/all the clothes I hate/all the words I hate/how I’ll never be anything I hate” (some incredible lyrics, by the way).

Another highlight was the glam-rock song “Michael,” on which Kapranos took the opportunity to introduce the band in an over-the-top, flamboyant singing/talking style that no one could resist. It was basically Franz Ferdinand’s inimitable cool that took them straight through the set and would’ve carried them through another hour at least. The set closer was “Darts of Pleasure,” a great last song simply because of its rush of an ending: “Ich heisse superfantastisch!”

The band played a few new songs throughout the set, none of which were particularly gratifying, but all of which stayed true to Franz’s sound. The encore featured another of these, followed by one of Franz Ferdinand’s many bombshells, “This Fire.” Wednesday night at The Quest, Franz Ferdinand solidified their place along side The Strokes, The White Stripes, and others as one of rock’s new superstars. Hopefully their next album will bring more ecstatic rock heaven. Superfantastisch!