Psychedelic Furs at the Grove of Anaheim Over the Weekend


Psychedelic Furs and She Wants Revenge

June 25, 2010
Grove of Anaheim
A healthy mix of young and old fans filled the Grove of Anaheim for the pairing of Psychedelic Furs and She Wants Revenge. Few bands have produced as many memorable hits in the '80s as the Psychedelic Furs. While the soundtrack of John Hughes' film Pretty in Pink immensely propelled their popularity, their 16-song set reminded everyone that they weren't one hit wonders.

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A cheerful Richard Butler bounded his way to the
center of the stage and flawlessly sang “Love My Way.” Butler's voice
has aged like fine wine holding on to its distinctive tone. Singing into
a small megaphone, Butler revisited his early '90s project Love Spit
Love with the swirling guitars of “Believe.” The '80s nostalgia really
tingled during a double shot of “Heartbeat” and “Ghost In You.”
Another
vital component of the Psychedelic Furs sound is the incorporation of
saxophone by Mars Williams. Few bands have been able to imbed the
saxophone into their sound as well as the Psychedelic Furs. Williams
even switched to the clarinet for “Like A Stranger” to display his
versatility. “It Goes On” was another showcase for the fast paced
saxophone honks by Williams who worked both sides of the stage.
Towering
bassist Tim Butler deftly pulled off the disco bass line for
politically charged “President Gas” as his brother Richard shook hands
with fans in the front row just like Morrissey. Richard recreated his
infamous twirls from their '80s video for an epic version of “Heaven.”
The crowd definitely went crazy upon hearing the opening notes of
“Pretty In Pink” with the lighting technician adjusting the lights
accordingly.
For the encore, The Furs dug deep
with the selection of “No Easy Street,” an appropriate cover of Roxy
Music's “Pyjamarama” and “Forever Now.” For those younger fans that came
for She Wants Revenge, they were most likely were converted into fans
of the Psychedelic Furs. 

She Wants Revenge
warmed up the audience with a 45-minute set touching on their
KROQ hits and debuting a handful of new songs from their upcoming third
album. Wisely leaving the best for last, the combination of “Out of
Control” and “Tear You Apart” at the conclusion of their set had fans
dancing up a storm.
Personal Bias:
Richard Butler is one of my favorite singers.
The
Crowd:
Definitely split between She Wants Revenge and Psychedelic
Furs fans with an age difference of about 20 years.
Overheard
from the Crowd:
“I hope they play “Pretty In Pink!” 
Random
Notebook Dump:
Why did older fans take
green beads from the scantly clad Heineken promotional girls at the
entrance?
Setlist:
“Love My
Way”
“Believe”
“Heartbeat”
“Ghost In You”
“Like
A Stranger”
“It Goes On”
“President Gas”
“In
My Head”
“Sister Europe”
“She Is Mine”
“Heaven”
“All
This and Nothing”
Encore:
“No Easy Street”
“Pyjamarama”
(Roxy Music Cover)
“Forever Now”

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