Richard Butler of the Psychedelic Furs greets fans at Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa on Thursday, July 19, 2018. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, OC Fair & Event Center) |
Catching the Psychedelic Furs live has always been on my "bucket list" so I can report catching the band at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa on July 19 was worth the wait. Lead singer Richard Butler proved to be an interesting and energetic frontman and some of his mannerisms reminded me of David Bowie. The six-member band delivered a mix of enduring hits ("Love My Way," "The Ghost in You," "Pretty in Pink," "Heartbreak Beat," "Heaven") and lesser-known gems.
Cy Curnin of the Fixx performs at Pacific Amphitheatre on Thursday, July 19, 2018. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, OC Fair & Event Center) |
All three bands were fantastic and this was truly a memorable night.
Make sure to check out writer George A. Paul's full-length review of that show here.
Thomas Dolby in concert and conversation at Largo at the Coronet. Photo courtesy of Roland |
This was an incredible two-part show where Dolby would have audience members reach into a hat and pull out small ping pong balls with the names of some of his most beloved material. Dolby would then tackle each of those songs, discussing the song and its creation and then performing the song solo. A very special night that included arresting versions of classic originals including "Hyperactive," "Europa and the Pirate Twins," "One Of Our Submarines" and "She Blinded Me With Science."
To read a full-length report on this special performance, see writer Donna Balancia's review on the California Rocker site here.
Earth, Wind & Fire performing at the Pacific Amphitheatre on Friday, July 27, 2018. Photo courtesy of the Orange County Fair. |
Opening with the infectious 1975 hit "Sing a Song," it was clear the dynamics of the popular track were enhanced by virtuoso skills of the 12 musicians on stage, including a great three-man horn section. Many other hits and deep cuts followed, including the aptly-titled "Shining Star," a stellar cover of the Beatles' "Got to Get You into my Life," the shimmering "Fantasy" (this writer's favorite track of the night), "September," "Boogie Wonderland" and many more.
The band still features three of its key members from its classic period including singer-percussionist Philip Bailey, percussionist Ralph Johnson and bassist Verdine White (sadly group founder Maurice White passed away in February 2016). Bailey's signature falsetto vocals continue to be a wonder, as evidenced by soaring performances of the ballads "Reasons" and "After the Love Has Gone." And there is simply no way to slow down Verdine White, who is one of the most fun musicians to watch as he bounds around the stage and works his bass guitar with an infectious passion.
Now, if only the magic of the band's performance could have cast a spell on the capacity crowd to connect with EW&F like our group did!
Robert Kinsler
1 comment:
Thanks for the shout out about my Psych Furs concert review!
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