Goth-n-Roll High School Forever

Last night I saw a show I've been wanting to see for, oh, 16 years I guess. Ninth or tenth grade, that neck of the woods. The Cure. It was awesome. They rocked solid for three hours. They played a lot of newer stuff that I'm not as familiar with but they also reached far back into their discography for all the old crowd favorites. They freakin' finished with "Killing an Arab"!

I felt very much the way I felt when I finally saw Morrissey a few years ago. The voice and the lyrics and the music and the persona that I've been absorbing since I was an impressionable youth is standing right in front of me. And it's not a disappointment. Robert Smith, the Original Adorable Goth, jumped around in what looked like his pajamas and made the fans happy. We noticed that he can't really sing and play guitar at the same time. For the most part he does one or the other, and when he plays guitar he's really concentrating hard. (That explains why a lot of songs are strong guitar, then singing, then strong guitar, then singing again.)

I was actually surprised by how great they sound live. Their albums seem to have a lot of production and rather than replicate the album sounds onstage they've created powerful live versions of their songs. And the have great lights and cool graphic elements. (Mike thinks some of the images are the same from when he saw The Cure in highs school. And why should they change? If the spider man graphics are a crowd-pleaser, keep 'em.) When you think about it, they've been touring for a long time so they've had a lot of practice and know how to rock the audience.

They did four encores. That's right, four. It was the first night of their U.S. tour and I think they were experimenting with the lineup and encores and grand finales. We got to see them all. I kept toying with the idea of leaving because it was getting late and we have a busy day today but I was resolved to stick it out until my favorite song, "Boys Don't Cry." Finally, I think in the middle of the third encore, they did it. I could go home the happiest little goth. I'm glad we stuck it out to the end though, because they kept reaching back with "Lovecats," "10:15 Saturday Night," and "Jumping Someone Else's Train."

Even if you're just a casual fan, you should consider checking out the show when it comes to your town. Some songs I never liked that much on the albums had a totally different sound on stage. And the lights and graphics really enhanced the vibe. We saw them at the Patriot Center at GMU which was a pretty good venue. Noesebleed seats, but with a clear view of the stage and small enough so that Robert Smith was bigger than a speck. (Thank goodness for his big hair.)

Today I'm tired, but happy. I can't wait for Mike to wake up so I can blast some Cure tunes.