Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Robert thanks crew, fans and The Twilight Sad


16 comments:

  1. As many know, this was the first Cure tour in 29 years I was unable to attend do to having a 3 month old baby and 2 year old now; just couldn't travel for a show.

    As I was playing with my 2 year old son last night, it hit me that while RS delivers these amazing shows, runs a great band, has accomplished so much... the lyrics to 'A Boy I Never Knew' must still haunt him in some way.

    The Cure are probably my favorite band, I would say Rush, Dream Theater, Skinny Puppy round out my others (strange variation, lol..) All of the other 3 bands always play Phoenix, every tour without fail.

    The Cure? 2x in the past 20 years. We're the 12th largest metro area, every other 'genre' band plays here every tour; U2, Depeche Mode, hell Echo & Bunnymen are playing here this fall...

    But not The Cure. However, I realized last night, that if they had played I would've gotten to see them for the 15x or so. I would've probably seen 4 or 5 songs I've never seen (out of 30+ lol)...

    But that would have been one night away from my boys - at a critical point right now.
    Have to say, I have no regrets. Playing with my son last night, laughing, etc... just awesome.

    The Universe works in mysterious ways, this time it allowed me to spend time with 'The Boy I Will Always Know' :)

    For those of you who got to see them this time around - I am very happy for you. Even you poor souls in Charlotte who got that awful singles set (sorry, had to poke at that one, lol).

    For those of you that couldn't go, focus on the other things in life.

    And look forward to 2017/18, when Depeche Mode tours !!! ;)



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    1. Thank you for writing this. I'm in the same boat as you; my daughter is 5 months old and my wife's grandmother passed away at age 83, 6 days shy of the Hollywood Bowl show. Glad to know I'm not alone.

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    2. Dr, so true about life. I missed 2008 due to having small girls and work obligations. This year I drove 3 hours to Charlotte and 6+ to ATL with my 13 y.o. I had hoped Robert would address HB2 the anti-transgender law in NC and possibly be in an aggressive mood due to the hateful law, but that was not to be. Yet,the Charlotte show will forever be my favorite Cure show.

      I will try to explain that last sentence without crying the way I did the first time I heard Siamese Twins live in Holmdel, NJ in 2000. The show was soooo different, opening with PoY. Then, having my wide eyed daughter taking it all in, new. I remembered the 13 y.o. me who discovered KMKMKM and realized there was a place in the world for guys like me and that the range of emotions from JLH and Catch to The Kiss and Shiver and Shake to HHH to A Thousand Hours all add to humanity and the beauty of life. I loved that this band did not fear any of it and was willing to lay all of it out for the world to hear. The Charlotte show was like no other I've seen them play and in my opinion was the greatest risk I've seen them take live bc it could put off a dedicated fanbase. It reminded me that I love Robert for taking such risks. It reminded me of taking home Disintegration and Wish and wondering how the band would sound this time because the show was like that. It reminded me of my awe at Lullaby being a radio hit and how Cure "pop" changed airwaves and attitudes. If they had played a safe set I would not have been taken to all of these places. And, I was watching my daughter go through all of that with me.

      She was amazed at the energy - playing like teens although in their 50s. Her love for Simon and A Forest and his solo anew. Her favorite song of the two shows was Never Enough in the fan maligned 3rd encore. And I love that she got that from this band - nothing can take that moment away from us! She loved how well they played and how much fun they had. I had not seen them enjoy themselves like that on a past tour and they were not as happy in Atlanta the next night playing a more classic set. (My daughter's fave that night was Prayers for Rain.)

      I can compare the show to the Faith encore with a lackluster crowd (NJ Curiosa) and will say I would take Robert overcoming an untuned 12 string at the start of Letter to Elise and letting it go to stay happy and follow that up with excellent versions of CS and Primary anyday to an uninspired Faith encore. (But...Faith with a good crowd and somber Robert well...that's a master at his height).

      All of this is to say that The Cure are an incredible, multi-faceted, eclectic band. The Charlotte show was a masterpiece of the party side of the band that I had not seen on full display at previous shows. I have seen the aggressive and pensive sides in excellent form. This additional form was a truly unexpected gem that my daughter and I have to share for life. Again, Robert and crew have reminded me of the beauty and variety in life and what matters most.

      Thank you Robert, thank you to the band... And, can I please get Fight on the NEXT tour???



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    3. Also, Dr, I hope for you that are able to experience this band live with your own children. It is wonderful thing!

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    4. Yes said sometimes life just needs to take over and fun needs to be put aside for a while. I'm glad I got to see them twice in Chicago. This was the first time I have been able to enjoy myself in almost two years. First was my near death experience with cancer,almost died twice from the treatments. Then shortly after my mom died. Now my dad has Cancer. I can't imagine it getting any worse. And to be honest with you this was the first time in my life I was not really excited to see the Cure because I don't feel right yet and my family is falling apart. But when they walked on stage it was like the "world disappeared" and everything was right again. I can't begin to tell everyone how much the cure have gotten me through in my life. And for that I thank The Robert for.

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    5. Yes said sometimes life just needs to take over and fun needs to be put aside for a while. I'm glad I got to see them twice in Chicago. This was the first time I have been able to enjoy myself in almost two years. First was my near death experience with cancer,almost died twice from the treatments. Then shortly after my mom died. Now my dad has Cancer. I can't imagine it getting any worse. And to be honest with you this was the first time in my life I was not really excited to see the Cure because I don't feel right yet and my family is falling apart. But when they walked on stage it was like the "world disappeared" and everything was right again. I can't begin to tell everyone how much the cure have gotten me through in my life. And for that I thank The Robert for.

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    6. Nice! The wife and I just had our 3rd boy two weeks before the Chicago shows. That was the 1st time I'd miss them in Chicago, but that's okay, I've seen them twice in two years in 2013 & 14...

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  2. Thanks Craig, I don't think I'd have taken the plunge to fly across the Atlantic if it wasn't for the enthusiasm here. I first found Chain of Flowers in 2000 when I "sabotaged" a work project so I could stay the extra days to see them at the Dallas Starplex. I knew no-one in town and reading the reports from The Dream Tour made it clear I was not the only Cure nut in town and it's clear I'm still not!

    Thanks to Martin for the tickets (via CoF) to the two MSG shows I didn't have.

    And that's the best live version of Primary I've ever heard - and I've been listening to it live since The Picture Tour!

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  3. I have to say by the time the Cure hit NY, I was had heard too much about the Twilight Sad. Every night people heaping praise- I was so sure I would expect too much and be underwhelmed. I'm happy to say I was completely wrong. A lot like NIN several decades ago, tTS are one of those bands who will hook a great portion of their audience from their stunning live performances. I liked the music I heard, but seeing them live... they are spectacular! It got so that I was as excited to see them as I was The Cure... well, almost. Still, the energy and stage presence really raised them up far beyond what they seemed from their studio efforts. The Cure usually picks solid openers, but this was the first time I felt like the opening band was threatening to steal the show. Can't wait to see how they grow.

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    1. I hope the extra exposure for TTS on both the US and Euro tours brings them the fan base that they deserve. Can't wait to see them in Europe. Really impressed with them. Thank you Robert for your most excellent choice of support.

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  4. What a spectacular spring! That after four decades that The Cure can come and blanket North America with so many dates, so much catalogue, and so many high moments is as spectacular and extraordinary as life itself. That they are as razor-edged sharp as ever. I recall Robert in New York saying it was easier playing in the valley that rolling boulders up the hill but that roll boulders they would - referring to what had to be hours rehearsing all those B sides and rarities from Mr. Peabody's time machine. And such great memories when in New York from nowhere we get The Snakepit or Only Tomight We Could Sleep or in Denver, A Forest breaks out into extra innings jam mode. Words just aren't sufficient to describe what we have been gifted. Few bands make it to forty years - let alone continue to blow you away with such aural force. Big props to Craig Parker for keeping us all in total communication during the swirl of so much in these two months.

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  5. I took my 5 year old girl, as I am a single dad to the Columbia, MD show. She was upset when Bowie died and never got to see him play live then told me she had to see Robert Smith. I told her the guitarist used to play with David. It was a magical experience to see my 7th cure show since 1996 with my daughter and she loved it! This tour was amazing and almost topped the Jones Beach show for the Dream Tour I went to. They mage have aged but they have gotten stronger. Through all the dedicated fans with the scopes we all got a chance to follow the tour live. Thank you all for that experience! Much love to The Cure, The Twilight Sad, the crew, and all the other fans. You all feel like family and kindred spirits!

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  6. moontrip89, what a lovely post which really struck a chord with me. I was five when my big brother was allowed to see The Cure in Brisbane Australia in '81. I threw a huge tantrum when mum told me I was too small to go. (I thought it was perfectly reasonable for him to carry me on his shoulders.) I was also a huge Bowie fan but never saw him perform live. Your daughter will cherish the Columbia, MD show forever I'm sure. Kindred spirits...yes, feels like that a lot here on CoF!

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  7. Many thanks to Craig for keeping this page so current for so many years.
    I discovered Chain of Flowers during the Dream Tour and have looked to it whenever I want the latest news.
    On this tour, more than ever, CoF helped me feel a little bit like I was at all the shows on the North America leg (If I won the lottery, I would do that).

    I got into The Cure in 1991. My first show was 6/13/1992 at Texas Stadium when I was 15. A couple years older and I
    might have been blessed to see some of the Prayer Tour. I've caught 22 shows total over the years, including 5 on the 2016 tour: everything in Texas and Denver based out of my current location in Albuquerque. It never gets old and the diversity on this tour was absolutely incredible; every show I attended contributed something unique to the comprehensive experience.

    I really love It Can Never Be The Same. It seemed to be a little less common on the later set lists. It's one of those songs that instantly sounded like The Cure just on the first listen - like Want, OOTW, and UTS. Opening album tracks always seem to be pretty brilliant. For those debating the origin of the song, I noticed something interesting. In going through some B-sides I hadn't heard in a while prior to my tour dates, it seemed there might be some common lineage with This Morning (a b-side to EOTW). Someone important dies in that song and there's also this line, "In that moment I knew nothing would ever be the same again..."

    I sure do hope we have future shows to look forward to in North America.

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