It was another chilly Wednesday evening in Chi-town, but inside the Metro it was boiling with vibrant energy. A loud and chatty crowd, mostly in their early forties, patiently waited for Echo and the Bunnymen's performance to begin. Having already cancelled their gig in town last year, the band was overdue for a visit. While a couple of UK bands were stranded in Europe because of the Icelandic volcano eruption, Echo and The Bunnymen made it to the USA to play Coachella the week before, so there was no doubt they would stop in Chicago this time.
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Echo and the Bunnymen
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The Metro
Chicago, IL
April 21, 2010
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Echo is one of the 80s adored English post-punk bands. Post-punk--a genre led by Joy Division and The Cure--basically created more elaborate music than punk, but not necessarily less wistful. Add to it a bit of the sound and irreverence of The Doors, and you have Echo and The Bunnymen. Today, the only original members from their debut in 1978 are the chain smoking singer Ian McCulloch and guitarist Will Sergeant. However, after 30 years in business, Echo is not only still producing new material, but also has been able to maintain a following of loyal fans across the ocean from their Liverpool homeland.
Opening up with "Going Up" from their 1980 debut album "Crocodiles" and continuing on the same time path to "Show of Strength" and "Rescue," Echo quickly set up the nostalgic tone for the evening. Even though the venue was not sold out, the lively audience cheered with the devotion that made you feel as if the place was really packed. Measure by measure, drop by drop and several cigarettes later, Echo pretty much played their extensive "best of" catalog from their glory days in its entirely. Ironically, they are touring to promote their 11th album "The Fountain," from which they played... one song.
There is nothing wrong about only playing songs from the past. Echo seems to recognize and accept that their most treasured masterpieces belong to the 80s, and everyone at the Metro was transported right back there. The fans gladly sang along to "Seven Seas," danced to the Doors-sounding-like "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo," and cheered to "Bring on the Dancing Horses" as if they grew up listening to Echo's songs. The band also covered Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side" and played James Brown "Sex Machine" for a brief moment, which added more frenzy to the already welcoming set list.
Ian brought not only his songs from the past, but also his "enigmatic" attitude. Sporting a dark coat and jet black sunglasses, his mysterious persona fit well on the foggy stage. In between songs, Ian was either lighting up the next cigarette or rambling in his thick British accent. The audience cheered every time he opened his mouth and sometimes it was incredibly hard to make sense of his words. Some puzzled patrons looked around as if hoping for subtitles. The constant interaction with the audience throughout the show added an even closer touch to the already very intimate setting.
Their hit "The Killing Moon" was received with well-deserved ovation towards the end of the night, only to be followed by my favorite "The Cutter." Echo closed their juicy two-hour time-travel set with "Do It Clean" and the famous "Lips Like Sugar." Ian may not sound as good as he did 30 years ago, but tonight Echo delivered the best songs of their career. It was a great performance through a bittersweet trip back down memory lane.
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i loved the show
Written by Guest on 2010-05-06 08:21:36
what a great band with so many great songs |
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