Saturday, June 11, 2016

The Cure in Chicago (06-11-16)

June 11th, 2016
UIC Pavilion in Chicago, IL
Sold Out! / Doors at 6:30 PM Central
The Twilight Sad 7:30 - 8:00 / The Cure 8:36 - 11:07
Get there early for The Twilight Sad! They're excellent!

Setlist: Out of This World, Pictures of You, Closedown, High, A Night Like This, The Walk, Push, In Between Days, Just Like Heaven, This Twilight Garden, The Caterpillar, The End of the World, Lovesong, The Last Day of Summer, 39, Bloodflowers

1st encore: It Can Never Be the Same

2nd encore: Step Into the Light, Us or Them, Burn

3rd encore: Lullaby, Fascination Street, Wrong Number, A Forest

4th encore: Hot Hot Hot!!!, Close to Me, Why Can't I Be You?, Boys Don't Cry

Note: Band had the option to play Pornography or It Can Never Be the Same for 1st encore. They chose...poorly. :) Also cut Dressing Up & Catch from 4th encore, presumably due to the heat. We all wanted out of that dump.

Photos: It's a Perfect Day

Videos: Twilight Sad - There's a Girl in the Corner 1 - 2 / And She Would Darken the Memory

The Cure - 1 hour & 15 minutes of the show / Bunch of videos & clips here / Out of This World / A Night Like This / In Between Days / This Twilight Garden / It Can Never Be the Same 1 - 2 / Step Into the Light / Burn / Lullaby / Why Can't I Be You?

Periscopes: Twilight Sad   




CoF XX Night 1 was incredible! To Robert, Simon, Roger, Jason, and Reeves, Thank You so much for a fantastic show! Now what will they do for Night 2 of the CoF 20th Anniversary Party? Whatever it is, it's sure to be fantastic. And again, we encourage you to go crazy! Go "dark", go "deep", play b-sides, play songs not played in years! Hell, do Beyonce covers if you want. Just have fun! :)

If you have GA floor tickets you will enter at Gate 5 on Congress, if you have reserved tickets you enter at Gate 3 on Racine & Harrison.

Note: They are selling posters with the Chicago dates on them for $25. Photo here.

It is very hot here. Bring some water if waiting in line, and leave the jackets and trench coats at home. Also, it was very warm to hot inside the arena last night, too. Hopefully they'll fix the air for tonight, but just letting you know.

If you're still looking for tickets, I will be posting any last minute offers on Twitter (I'm @CraigatCoF) and here (until I head down to the show).

Traffic and Parking info from UIC:

We look forward to seeing you at the concert on June 10/11th. We just want to ensure your trip to the UIC Pavilion is an enjoyable one so please read the below and enjoy the event!

HEAVY TRAFFIC AROUND THE UIC PAVILION JUNE 10th & 11th!

STREET CONSTRUCTION
Expect additional traffic delays due to construction on Harrison Street.

ARRIVE EARLY
Doors will open at least one hour prior to show time.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
CTA Train - take the Blue Line train to the Racine Avenue stop, which is about a half a block from the UIC Pavilion.
CTA Buses - take the 7, 8, 60, or 120 bus routes to Harrison Street and Racine Avenue.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS
From the West - Take I-290 East and exit at Ashland, follow Congress to the parking ramp just east of the UIC Pavilion.
From the North - Take I-94 to the Adams Street exit. Turn South on Halsted Street to Harrison Street. Turn West on Harrison and follow traffic directions to parking.
From the South and Southwest - Take I-94 to the Roosevelt and turn West on Roosevelt Road to Racine Avenue. Head north on Racine Avenue and follow traffic control personnel direction to parking.

PARKING
All parking will be forced in specific directions depending on lane in which cars are exiting.
Please follow the flow of traffic and continue to your destination after you have cleared the immediate area.

For more information, visit us at uicpavilion.com and follow us on twitter for traffic alerts on the day of the event.

69 comments:

  1. Leave the trench coat at home? But I'm a GOTH! ;)

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  2. it was plenty hot inside the arena last night!

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  3. My clothes were soaked by the time the concert was over.

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  4. Call me crazy, I kinda liked it. The heat definitely went along with set. Back when a lot of those songs came out we would see The Cure in venues that were so hot the sweat would literally be dripping from the ceiling and the walls. We could wring out our clothes after.

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  5. Come on guys! Chain of Flowers for Craig. He's practically a member of The Cure by now :)

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  6. Congrats and thanks to Craig for 20 awesome years as THE source for Cure everything! I sincerely hope that tonight's setlist rivals last night's and that you get all the songs you're hoping for.

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  7. Sounds like a BLOODFLOWERS SET with a first encore Pornography !!! Going to be another epic performance in the Windy City

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  8. Tonight feels way more sold out than last. I dare say it's oversold!!

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  9. This is maybe the most dull of 50+ shows I've seen...

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  11. Joe A Rodriguez I'm with you on the Bloodflowers songs, every one of them is a classic!

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    1. Last Day of Summer bores me, I think 'Where the Birds Always Sing' is a better choice

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    2. Really? Think it is amazing.

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    3. Everything but 39 and the title track bore me on that album, so I wasn't thrilled to get a setlist heavy on this one

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  12. Twilight Garden returns...otherwise not so great, 28 songs? RS getting road weary lol?

    That's ok, Dave Gahan and Simon LeBon can't even make it past 20 songs on a good night. I'll take a 28 song Cure set any night over the other bands 'greatest hits' shows...

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    1. they also had one f the latest starts i think. venue felt like it was oversold...they didn't come on until 8:35? there's your 28 songs.

      but yeah, Gahan is wiped out at 20!!

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    2. I think they were wiped out by the heat, as we all were. I could feel the flames when they did 39. If we were pouring sweat imagine what it was like under the lights...they probably cut it short so nobody would pass out on stage :-)

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  13. Wow...'Pornography' was a first encore option as they chose the new one? Sucks, would like a new video of that masterpiece. At least they played The Top last night... They also skipped 'Dressing Up' and 'Catch' in the final encore...

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    1. i totally wouldve ditched Us Or Them, for Dressing Up!! havent hears it live, since the LA Forum in '96.

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    2. we can hope it makes it into a later set

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    3. I know how disappointing they should have dropped us or them and played catch and dressing up instead. And to hear pornography was to be played and they did not play it I almost started crying. Major disappointment on that one.

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    4. I know how disappointing they should have dropped us or them and played catch and dressing up instead. And to hear pornography was to be played and they did not play it I almost started crying. Major disappointment on that one.

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  14. oh I love love love what you do to me!

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  15. FINALLY.....This Twilight Garden!! I was in tears. These past 2 nights have been heaven :)
    Except in heaven they have A/C....lol

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  16. Another great show! Thanks again to The Cure and The Twilight Sad. I'm exhausted. Next stop for me, Boston. Have fun Canada! :)

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  17. Though nothing will beat night 1 this was another fantastic night. I enjoyed hearing Why Can't I Be You and Lullaby again. And the stuff from Bloodflowers plus Twilight Garden was great! I was so happy they switched up the set list so much. I'll never forget these shows and I'm happy I got to be a part of it. I just wished I could've met more Cure fans and that Uic put on the goddamn ac!

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  18. Looking forward to seeing the 'The Kiss'/'Fight' set in NYC, with 'A Japanese Dream' played for the first time on the tour.

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  19. Chicago Night 1 was the best of the tour so far. Waiting For Porno/Faith...maybe in NYC? Let's see

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  20. As good as the POP SET is ....all long time Cure fans want the Dark and the Chicago first night delivered ! Bestival will unfortunately be a shorten 2hours of festival tunes and the next grand trio with more innovation on the set list likely won't come until NYC ...so many great songs can still make 2016 live debuts !

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  21. Not everyone is seeing 3,000 shows on this tour, and aside from just being one of the best Cure songs in decades, the tour was billed as having unreleased songs performed. So yeah, there's no bad feelings on my end about having It Can Never Be the Same played over Pornography. Now on the other hand I'd have to get my fighting gloves on if it was The Figurehead crossed off the set instead....

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    1. I second that one if the figurehead was crossed of I think I would have to turn violent.

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    2. I second that one if the figurehead was crossed of I think I would have to turn violent.

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  22. Kansas City and chicago night 1 best setlists of the tour...glad i was at kc. I think i am going to wembley for the last 3 nights...those will be epic and 20 years since i saw the last 3 shows of the Swing Tour. I'm really grateful that they are even touring.

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    1. Hi
      I was thinking of going to Wembley. Do you know how long they'll get to play? I'm not flying that far for a 2 hour show ;)

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    2. They will all be 3 hour shows, can't wait.

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  23. Look - evey Cure concert is an amazing experience that far surpasses any other band (with maybe the exception of Rush...). But some 'set lists' are better than others.

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  24. Night one was out of this world. I could not have asked for anything better.
    Night two, despite the lack of ac was also incredible. This Twilight Garden plus four songs from Bloodflowers... and the crowd was so excited on night two.
    I'm so happy I was at both nights- they were far better than what Chicago got at Lollapaloza and Riot Fest. The band sounds like the band I've loved all these years and better than they have in years.

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  25. Wow...no AC in a venue that huge? That's brutal. They should offer partial refunds to anyone in attendance. Not sure what the weather was like Chicago, but at least it wasn't the peak summer months of July/Aug when it would have been truly unbearable (hot hot hot!). It is very possible the band is not yet aware of COF's 20th anniversary...once it dawns on them a special tribute to Craig could be forthcoming. Or maybe they're aware but need time to prepare..hey that rhymes. lol. Side note- kudos to itsaperfectday for the incredible quality of his/her videos.They are always up close, HD and near professional quality. I am amazed at how steadily he or she is able to hold the camera or phone without a tripod or similar device, especially with all the surrounding distractions. Can't wait to check out the video for Jupiter Crash, among others. The up close footage really helps those of us not at the show to experience it vicariously. I would love to be one of those superfans who has the means to follow the band all around the country/globe. Time off is not as much of an issue for me, I have excess hours to burn. It's more the struggle to reconcile my innate frugality with the urge to splurge, with the former usually winning out over the latter. Or maybe I am simply not a very dedicated fan? That said, if a good deal to a destination where the band will be appearing pops up, no doubt I would not hesitate to think twice. Speaking of deals, I am not sure if it's just a bizarre coincidence or just the concert gods laughing in my face, just yesterday I happened to notice Southwest blowing out some crazy deals to the Windy City...pardon the pun? They were offering RT fares (from LA) for 70 bucks, all in. I think AA had something similar. That's unheard of...Heck, that's even cheaper than your average concert ticket. Too bad the timing was a bit off...and no, I do not work for Southwest...haha.

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. It was a 2-day mini heat wave with temperatures around 93° F / 35° C. Hadn't been very hot so far this year and went back to normal right after The Cure left the vicinity.

      itsaperfectday really appreciates your kind words. He or she will say that the trick to image stability is quite simple: you'll be steady as long as you can rest your elbows on the rail. So all you have to do is favor general admission shows and get to first row, preferably stage left if your favorite guitar players are right-handed. Easy, right? :-)

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    3. Wow, sounds brutal. What an odd coincidence the heat wave was only during the 2 days they were there. Maybe Chi-town should have swapped weather w/ LA - we actually had rain that weekend (very rare) :D
      I finally realized you were itsaperfectday. I like your use of the 3rd person to refer to yourself...haha.
      I figured the rail may have been used for stability, but from some of the footage it looks like it was taken a few feet behind the rails. That's amazing you are able to attend so many shows...maybe the band should bring you on board as a roadie. :D
      In any event, I always look forward to your videos, keep up the excellent work!

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    4. AC was on, but apparently it was only felt up in the nosebleeds at the back, where I was located. I was bummed to be so far away, and it was only partially helpful in cooling up there. Can't imagine what it was like on the floor or the stage.

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    5. Wow, sounds brutal. What an odd coincidence the heat wave was only during the 2 days they were there. Maybe Chi-town should have swapped weather w/ LA - we actually had rain that weekend (very rare) :D
      I finally realized you were itsaperfectday. I like your use of the 3rd person to refer to yourself...haha.
      I figured the rail may have been used for stability, but from some of the footage it looks like it was taken a few feet behind the rails. That's amazing you are able to attend so many shows...maybe the band should bring you on board as a roadie. :D
      In any event, I always look forward to your videos, keep up the excellent work!

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  27. That is a shame that the cut three great tracks. Ditch Wrong Number and the boring pop singles instead. I would take Catch and Dressing Up over the usual pop encore songs any day.

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    1. I really dislike the final encore they have been playing. I'm not even a big fan of Boys Don't Cry (boring). It's been a great tour all the same though.

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    2. Unless it was a Reflections show, or something similar, I don't think they could really do a show without all that. If it was 6000 people who are on here every day, fair enough, but more than likely it would be 60. The sets are already great enough. I know what you mean though...

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  28. These comments are painful to read. As were the hundreds of phones held up recording songs that are already in the dozens, in HD, on YouTube And Vimeo. I thought the venue was fine, especially the vendors walking to you with drinks. I'm surprised there isnt any discussion regarding if this is a subtle goodbye forever tour. I hope not. The new gear suggests otherwise. Sad to see the comments here appear more like Yelp reviews than fan talk. Smith is almost 60, playing his ass off in a year where so many greats are dying and all people do is bitch. Oh well, I'll just ignore it along with the reality that people actually buy cure bucket hats.

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    1. Yes Eric you took the thoughts right out of my head. I have enjoyed every second of this tour. Every song is special. The thought that this was the end did cross my mind when he started saying "See you again" after every show. ( usually every tour is the last according to him.) I am attending as many shows as I can just in case. I never would have thought when I saw them 30 years ago for the first time, that I'd be following a 2016 tour. Thanks to Robert for sharing so many beautiful creations over these years. They have truly filled my heart.

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    2. And to add, my husband I both had the same sick feelings when we saw the bucket hats. WTF!?

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  29. Just a little advice to put out there. Just put your phone away for one whole show. Just watch and listen.You won't regret it. You will remember it more vividly than you ever thought possible. Trust me.

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    1. Even those doing the periscope, and Olivier on vimeo? I couldn't be doing without that, especially when I wake up at 5am in the UK, and need to go to the toilet before work. They deserve a pass.

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    2. I totally appreciate there are people that make it their biz to provide videos for those not there. I'm just sayin they are not enjoying it as much as those of us who are in the moment :)

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    3. You have a point, but that's mitigated by the number of shows. Not enjoying a few songs per show as much as you could because you're filming them could be painful if attending a single show in the year, but when there are a couple dozen shows or more to enjoy each and every song many times over, it balances out nicely. :-)

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  30. If people want to enjoy the whole concert through their phone that's people's business. I personally liked taking clips of songs I loved like Kyoto Song. I look back on them fondly and I want to share them with my brother who wasn't able to go with me.

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  31. If people want to enjoy the whole concert through their phone that's people's business. I personally liked taking clips of songs I loved like Kyoto Song. I look back on them fondly and I want to share them with my brother who wasn't able to go with me.

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    1. GULP! Calm down Ashley. No need to get your panties in a bunch. I was only throwing some advice out there. Mostly meant for those who are only going to one or their first show. Take it or leave it. Nothing personal.

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    2. I actually wasn't getting anything in a bunch. I was just saying that's what people want to do. It's not what I want to do but I just think too many people get too hung up on the phone thing. So I wasn't getting upset or anything of the sort.

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    3. I actually wasn't getting anything in a bunch. I was just saying that's what people want to do. It's not what I want to do but I just think too many people get too hung up on the phone thing. So I wasn't getting upset or anything of the sort.

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  32. We are funs of Cure not because we like hot3 or lets go to bed or F.I.i.love. all world is full of popsongs. We like the deeper songs the deeper feelings and if we want to hear pop its better "a foolish arrangement" or "halo" or other rare b side. O.K. we love the cure but some songs are underated and other playing in every concert. Inspiration still exist: it can never be the same 100% Cure words and music.

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  34. Thanks Craig for this site. It keeps me well informed, and I've met some fantastic people. I love the sense of community the Cure fans have!I feel very fortunate to be able to experience this now! As for The Cure and The Twilight Sad concerts,I'm at a loss for words.Amazing!!!

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