Last week I saw The Psychedelic Furs at the House of Blues and thought I'd write about it. Evan Dando of The Lemonheads was the special guest. As a result of a parking issue, I arrived a little late, but still managed to catch the tail end of "Into Your Arms" as well as "Fear of Living (joined on stage by Dan Lardner)" and "If I Could Talk I'd Tell You," among other songs. In all honesty, I prefer Evan Dando's sound when he is accompanied by his whole band. Even though I love the stripped down acoustic, raw live sound, he did himself no justice by omitting his band. That's not to say his whole set was a disaster, just that on certain songs he was off-key, and a band would have helped mask that.
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
The Psychedelic Furs with special guest Evan Dando at the House of Blues
I still loved what I heard of "Into Your Arms" despite the lack of a band. This song never gets old and no matter how imperfect the live version sounds, it is still enjoyable to listen to. "Into Your Arms" brings back memories of the nineties. Whenever I hear a song like that, I just want to go back and relive that special time, you know? I can't say I ever want to be a teenager again, but there are times when I wish I could. You can also hear "If I Could Talk I'd Tell You" and "It's a Shame About Ray" in the other video.
A photo of Evan Dando from my House of Blues gig. Click to enlarge.
The Psychedelic Furs. Click to enlarge.
The Psychedelic Furs were next and it was my first time seeing them live. I had wanted to see them for years, but the timing never seemed to line up or they weren't playing anywhere close to me. I was not disappointed. The show was everything I expected and then some. The only negative was the absence of Mars Williams. He is undergoing cancer treatments and cannot join the band at this time. I fully understand it is a situation that cannot be helped. That night, I wish the band had switched Mars Williams for another saxophonist instead of adding a third guitarist. Those smooth sax sounds were missed by quite a few Furs fans online.
In good spirits, Richard Butler capered around the stage all night. The way he engages with the audience and communicates is very warm and inviting. One time during the show, he waved to me and some others in the crowd as the lights shone down. His bandmates were given equal attention as he performed, approaching each individually. Such a quality in an artist is really admirable. Someone who engages with his or her crowd while still interacting with their band. Some lead singers simply walk out, grab a mic, and start singing. It's like, hey! Don't forget about your band. Since someone who takes the lead has a major role to play, it's easy to forget to engage with your bandmates when you are focused on your vocal range, remembering the lyrics, etc. It does not necessarily mean that a show is bad just because a lead singer does not engage with their band. When they remember to do it, it's just a nice touch. :)
The setlist was pretty good. I like that they performed at least one song from each album. There are some bands that only play songs from certain albums and leave other albums off altogether. The highlights for me were hearing "Love My Way," "Mr. Jones," "House," "All That Money Wants," "The Ghost in You," "President Gas," "Alice's House," "Pretty in Pink," "Heaven," "Heartbreak Beat," and "India." I wish I could have also heard "Sister Europe," but I guess you can't get that lucky! At the end, "India" or "Sister Europe" are usually played. Maybe next time. I'm glad to hear what I did hear, and I really hope Mars William will be playing the next Psychedelic Furs show near me. Really, I just want him to get well. Below is the GoFundMe link for Mars Williams if anyone wishes to donate.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/marswilliams?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_content=undefined&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer&utm_term=undefined
More coming this month... Stay tuned!
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