A night like this
Tonight was the next moment of my concert year. I went to see The Cure at MSG. At the end of the two hour and forty five minute, 35 song and four encore set I was exhausted but I got my money’s worth and then some, with interest.
My interest in The Cure begins with the Mecha Streisand episode of South Park. After front man Robert Smith saves the day and leaves Cartman doubled over in pain, he walks off into the sunset. Stan would then shout out loud “Disintegration is the greatest album ever”. I would eventually buy the album and discover that there’s beauty in darkness and heartbreak although I disagree with it being the greatest album ever. In time, I would buy their 1985 album, The Head on the Door and play it through repeatedly along with their singles compilation, Staring at The Sea. The music left a strong impression on me.
I wanted to see The Cure live as they are known for marathon sets, ala Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney , mixing hits with rarities. Last October the tickets went on sale and I jumped on the opportunity. Thankfully, it wasn’t as expensive to get a seat in the 100 section. It was a good thing I did as the show sold out quickly as its the first tour in eight years. As a result, shows on Sunday and Monday were added. I listened to all of the bands discography all week in preparation for the night ahead.
I began the evening at the food market as you get off the subway at Herald Square. With fettuccine Alfredo and hard cider in me, I made my way to the arena. A little bit after 8, the opening act The Twlight Sad took the stage. Right from the off, I had an idea of their sound. It’s a mix of My Bloody Valentines Drone, the anthemic quality of Glasvegas with a thick Scottish accent given that they’re from Glasgow, Scotland. It’s not that musically far removed from tonight’s headliners.
A little bit after 9, the lights go down and the lights of the screens brighten. The opening notes of Plainsong ring out and the night begins with the first three songs off of Disintegration. Over the remainder of the night, crowd favorites such as Just Like Heaven and Friday I’m in Love would get the biggest cheers as the main set would end with the title track, Disintegration. During one of the encores, a new song It Can Never Be The Same was aired with a single candle as the backdrop on screen. The fourth and final encore consisted of Close to Me, Why Can’t I Be You and Boys Don’t Cry.
In the end, the kitchen sink was brought out and the crowd ate it up from the start of the concert. A good chunk of The Cure’s catalog was well represented tonight with enthusiasm from the crowd and the band. I wonder how that will translate over the remaining two nights. One things for sure, this might have surpassed David Gilmour for my favorite concert this year. There’s two more concerts left this year, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds at the Beacon Theater on 7/5 and then Sir Paul McCartney at MetLife Stadium on 8/7.
Of course when it comes to live music, I never say never…
