The Cure @ Allstate Arena
The Cure prove that they are still as relevant as ever with an awe-inspiring performance
photos by Lyle A. Waisman/LuminoMagazine.com
It was impossible to tell that Robert Smith was battling a sore throat as every song The Cure played on Saturday at the Allstate Arena featured more than stellar vocals from the trendsetting frontman. Their set spanned the band’s 29 year career with all the singles you’d expect to hear (“Friday I’m In Love,” “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Lovesong” among them) but pleased the hardcore fans with classic album cuts like the gloom-and-doom fest “One Hundred Years” from Pornography and “Primary” off Faith. They also peppered up their set with four new songs that were upbeat, yet had enough melancholy to not be considered “happy songs.”
Many of the older tracks The Cure played were reworked to sound fresh again, but weren’t totally overdone. While the setlist was catered to include as much as possible from every album (with an obvious focus on Disintegration, as they played 6 songs from that album), noticeably absent were tracks from the Bloodflowers and Seventeen Seconds albums. While it’s easy to say that the hardcore fans like me noticed this, it was a safe move for The Cure as the majority of the crowd seemed to be more involved during the radio-friendly singles they performed. While those songs were definitely pleasing to hear, the real highlights came through the more “obscure” album tracks in the encores. Of three encores, the first was the best and consisted of “If Only Tonight We Could Sleep” and “The Kiss” from their Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me album. The eerie echoes and reverb of the first song rang throughout the arena, leaving the crowd in a trance that was soon ripped apart by the screeching guitar intro of “The Kiss.” The audience just stood in awe while Smith made his guitar wail and howl throughout the five-minute lead into his brief but moving vocal delivery.
The second and third encores were where Smith really let himself go and have fun. Kicking off the second encore with “The Lovecats,” it was a relief to see him dance and sway while he sang. The dancing didn’t stop – from Smith or the crowd – throughout the next two songs, “Close To Me” and “Why Can’t I Be You?” This is the encore that really left the crowd wanting more – the yelling, screaming, and clapping only became louder until The Cure took the stage again for their third and final encore. This was one for their older fans as it consisted of songs culled from the US release of their first album, Three Imaginary Boys (a.k.a. Boys Don’t Cry in the US). They romped through “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Jumping Someone Else’s Train,” “Grinding Halt,” “1015 Saturday Night,” and “Killing An Arab” without any pause between them.
At the end of the show, with the crowd still cheering for more, it was obvious why The Cure is still just as relevant as they were almost 30 years ago. The level of musicianship, creativity, fun, and songwriting is unrivaled by anyone else in music today. They were legendary in their early days and they’ll continue to be until the end of time. -Neil Miller, Jr.
Setlist
Plainsong, Prayers For Rain, alt.end, A Night Like This, The Walk, End Of The World, Lovesong, Pictures Of You, Lullaby, The Perfect Boy (new song), From The Edge of the Deep Green Sea, Hot Hot Hot, Sleep When I'm Dead (new song), Push, Friday I'm In Love, Inbetween Days, Just Like Heaven, Primary, Never Enough, The Only One (new song), Wrong Number, One Hundred Years, Disintegration
Encore 1
If Only Tonight We Could Sleep, The Kiss
Encore 2
The Lovecats, Freakshow (new song), Close To Me, Why Can't I Be You?
Encore 3
Boys Don't Cry, Jumping Someone Else's Train, Grinding Halt, 10:15 Saturday Night, Killing An Arab
photos by Lyle A. Waisman/LuminoMagazine.com
It was impossible to tell that Robert Smith was battling a sore throat as every song The Cure played on Saturday at the Allstate Arena featured more than stellar vocals from the trendsetting frontman. Their set spanned the band’s 29 year career with all the singles you’d expect to hear (“Friday I’m In Love,” “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Lovesong” among them) but pleased the hardcore fans with classic album cuts like the gloom-and-doom fest “One Hundred Years” from Pornography and “Primary” off Faith. They also peppered up their set with four new songs that were upbeat, yet had enough melancholy to not be considered “happy songs.”
Many of the older tracks The Cure played were reworked to sound fresh again, but weren’t totally overdone. While the setlist was catered to include as much as possible from every album (with an obvious focus on Disintegration, as they played 6 songs from that album), noticeably absent were tracks from the Bloodflowers and Seventeen Seconds albums. While it’s easy to say that the hardcore fans like me noticed this, it was a safe move for The Cure as the majority of the crowd seemed to be more involved during the radio-friendly singles they performed. While those songs were definitely pleasing to hear, the real highlights came through the more “obscure” album tracks in the encores. Of three encores, the first was the best and consisted of “If Only Tonight We Could Sleep” and “The Kiss” from their Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me album. The eerie echoes and reverb of the first song rang throughout the arena, leaving the crowd in a trance that was soon ripped apart by the screeching guitar intro of “The Kiss.” The audience just stood in awe while Smith made his guitar wail and howl throughout the five-minute lead into his brief but moving vocal delivery.
The second and third encores were where Smith really let himself go and have fun. Kicking off the second encore with “The Lovecats,” it was a relief to see him dance and sway while he sang. The dancing didn’t stop – from Smith or the crowd – throughout the next two songs, “Close To Me” and “Why Can’t I Be You?” This is the encore that really left the crowd wanting more – the yelling, screaming, and clapping only became louder until The Cure took the stage again for their third and final encore. This was one for their older fans as it consisted of songs culled from the US release of their first album, Three Imaginary Boys (a.k.a. Boys Don’t Cry in the US). They romped through “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Jumping Someone Else’s Train,” “Grinding Halt,” “1015 Saturday Night,” and “Killing An Arab” without any pause between them.
At the end of the show, with the crowd still cheering for more, it was obvious why The Cure is still just as relevant as they were almost 30 years ago. The level of musicianship, creativity, fun, and songwriting is unrivaled by anyone else in music today. They were legendary in their early days and they’ll continue to be until the end of time. -Neil Miller, Jr.
Setlist
Plainsong, Prayers For Rain, alt.end, A Night Like This, The Walk, End Of The World, Lovesong, Pictures Of You, Lullaby, The Perfect Boy (new song), From The Edge of the Deep Green Sea, Hot Hot Hot, Sleep When I'm Dead (new song), Push, Friday I'm In Love, Inbetween Days, Just Like Heaven, Primary, Never Enough, The Only One (new song), Wrong Number, One Hundred Years, Disintegration
Encore 1
If Only Tonight We Could Sleep, The Kiss
Encore 2
The Lovecats, Freakshow (new song), Close To Me, Why Can't I Be You?
Encore 3
Boys Don't Cry, Jumping Someone Else's Train, Grinding Halt, 10:15 Saturday Night, Killing An Arab
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