Paisley Pelts

Having a 1980s John Hughes film named after one of your songs is a one-way ticket to ‘90s obscurity, but somehow the Psychedelic Furs persevered the sweatband-and-torn-jeans storm. In fact, "Pretty in Pink" isn't even their best tune (right answer: "Into You Like a Train" with "President Gas" a close second). Although not nearly as revered as the Cure or the Smiths, the group deserves more credit than they get. Yes, they had a few sappy numbers-"Heartbreak Beat" and "Love My Way" come to mind-but even those have aged much better than "Who Can It Be Now?" or "Take on Me." Unlike their contemporaries on the state fair circuit, the Furs have enough material for an entire show without a letdown. Tracks such as "India," "Sister Europe," "The Ghost in You" and "Heaven" sound as refreshingly ethereal as they did nearly three decades ago. Can the Buggles say the same?
Thu., July 24, 7 p.m., 2008