Happy 46th Birthday to my favorite celebrity, Robert Smith of The Cure!
I never forget his special day.
And don’t forget to pick up yourself a copy of this special 6-disc 3-album reissue with lots of bonus material. My copy shipped today. Coincidence? I think not.
There was a special on this weekend on MTV 2 called MTV Icon: The Cure. I think it would have been better if it hadn’t been hosted by Marilyn Manson. It’s funny because I actually like some of his songs, but I don’t like him as a person. It just seems like he wears all that makeup and acts like he does just for the sake of being different and getting attention. Whereas I feel that Robert Smith wears makeup to help combat his shyness. There’s something about him that gives me the impression that even after all these years of performing onstage that he is actually rather shy and can be more himself to perform when covered in makeup.
Anyway, I liked the parts where they went through a bit of the band history, and they showed the cute cartoons of Robert, but I wasn’t all that impressed with the covers these bands did of Cure songs as The Cure sat on the sidelines and watched. I couldn’t help but feel that Robert wasn’t impressed either. To be fair, the cover of If Only Tonight We Could Sleep by The Deftones was rather good, but it’s not high on my list of favorite Cure songs. Blink182 did a cover of a song I really like, called A Letter To Elise, but the tempo and singing was too fast and annoyed me. I’ll admit, I don’t think anyone can do a Cure song very well. Let’s not even talk about that horrible cover of Friday I’m In Love that was in the movie 50 First Dates. There is one exception when it comes to covers, however: Sinking, by The Shroud, is better than The Cure’s version. I never cared for that song all that much until hearing the cover.
After the cover songs and some more random band info, The Cure actually got on stage and did a song from the new album (forget the name) and 10.15 Saturday Night. I got lost in how amazing The Cure sounds live, and I have yet to hear them do poorly. They are truly a great band – they write their own music and lyrics and play their own instruments. That’s music to me. Not Britney White-Trash Spears.
I’m stuck in Cure-land this past week. The concert made me yearn for more and I have been listening to nothing but The Cure the past seven days, primarily their new album. I must say I am really addicted to several of the songs on it, most notably, alt.end which is to be their next U.S. single. This is their best album in ten years which explains why everyone loved the concert so much.
A girl at work and I have been emailing each other, comparing our Cure collection, ever since we found out we were both at the concert. She was cracking me up because even though I told her I own all their albums and singles, she kept asking me, “Do you have this one?” to which I always replied yes. The only thing she had that I didn’t was a couple of bootlegs that she’s going to bring in for me to copy. So last night I burned her a disc of rare Cure MP3s including Lost Wishes. I love meeting die-hard Cure fans.
Want to laugh? Well, I just put together a spreadsheet noting the setlist of each of the four Cure concerts I’ve been to. Turns out that I’ve heard a total of 67 unique songs live. And apparently these are Robert’s favorite songs because I’ve yet to attend a concert where they weren’t played: Disintegration, Fascination Street, From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea, Inbetween Days, and Just Like Heaven.
Further proof I wasn’t imagining how great the concert was, here’s a great review from the Pioneer Press:
Read More …
The Cure concert last night rocked! We got to the venue around 8ish and headed over to the second stage but I have no idea who was playing. So we went inside and found our seats before Interpol came on. The place wasn’t packed, but it felt crowded because our row and the surrounding rows were full of people.
Interpol was rather crappy, if you ask me. I couldn’t understand a word the guy was singing. Everyone I know who has heard of this band talked them up like no tomorrow, but it sounded like a bunch of noise to me. So after a couple of songs we got up and headed over to the restrooms and hung out over there for awhile until The Cure was due to go on.
Instead of going back to our seats, we sat in the third to the last row in our section. It was completely empty in the last five rows or so which was nice. Plus I think the sound is best in the back. I had no qualms about not being closer to the band. Unless I’m going to be in the first few rows, I’d much rather be in back where the sound isn’t too loud or distorted and I have room around me.
I wasn’t entirely thrilled with their setlist:
Lost, Plainsong, Labyrinth, Facsination Street, From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, High, The End of the World, Anniversary, Lovesong, Inbetween Days, Just Like Heaven, Pictures of You, Closedown, Before Three, Disintegration, One Hundred Years, The Promise
Encore: Close To Me, The Lovecats, Why Can’t I Be You, Boys Don’t Cry
Don’t get me wrong, I was pretty happy until the encore even though they didn’t play alt.end which is one of my favorite songs from the new album. They did play FTEOTDGS, though, which is another favorite, plus Joe got to hear “his” song, 100 Years.
I was really hoping to have a Seventeen Seconds encore (M, Play For Today, A Forest), however. I figured since they did the happy encore in Michigan, we might get A Forest, but I guess it wasn’t meant to be. I just don’t understand how they can’t end a show with A Forest. I have to double check, but I think all the other shows I’ve seen always ended with A Forest. If I had to pick a favorite Cure song, that one ranks right up there in the top five.
Robert seemed to be in a happy let’s-play-silly-songs, mood last night. He was cute dancing around on stage, so I’ll give him that, but Lovecats sounded totally out of tune. We ended up sitting through the encore even though I did enjoy Why Can’t I Be You?.
My absolute favorite part of the show was when they played Just Like Heaven. Say what you want about how “lame” it is to play all the hits, but there’s nothing more fun than bopping around, belting out the lyrics along with the whole stadium. I don’t recall quite so much audience participation at the other shows I’ve seen. We were practically drowning out Robert Smith for JLH and a few other songs. It was awesome!
All in all, worth the $135 I spent. I can see the appeal of following the band around the country to see more than one show. If I had the time and money, I’d love to see them again this year, but I don’t think that’s very likely. I guess it will be another four years, then. ;)
P.S. And no ex-boyfriend sightings. LOL!
Joe just reminded me that in 24 hours, we will be enjoying The Cure live. I’m getting very excited over here. I only see them every four years, you know. We have a long-distance relationship. :)
Here’s the line-up at the Curiosa Festival:
5 – 5:25pm – Head Automatica (Stage 2)
5:30 – 6pm – Mogwai (Stage 1)
6:05 – 6:30pm – Cooper Temple Clause (Stage 2)
6:35 – 7:05pm – The Rapture (Stage 1)
7:10 – 7:40pm – Auf Der Maur (Stage 2)
7:45 – 8:25pm – Interpol (Stage 1)
8:30 – 9pm – Muse (Stage 2)
9:15 – 11pm – The Cure (Stage 1)
11pm – Curfew
I can’t decide what time to get to the venue. Do I really want to listen to four hours of music from bands I don’t know before my precious comes on stage? It’s supposed to be in the 60’s tomorrow with possible showers as well. By the time Robert Smith makes an appearance, it will be in the upper 50’s. I’m so wishing this was an indoor venue now. Oh well.
I’ve warned Joe that we might run into two of my ex-boyfriends there. The one I went to the concert with last time may be there, and my high school ex will definitely be there too as he’s the one who introduced me to the band, plus I saw him at the last show. Do you think I should flash my shiny ring at both of them while hanging onto my super handsome fiance? You bet I’ll be wearing my ass-tastic pants. Eat your heart out, boys. ;)
I just hope it’s not a repeat of the Cubs experience. At least we’ll be more prepared this time. We’ll have extra jackets and a nice flannel blanket just in case.