Robert Smith—the tousle-haired, lipstick-smeared, iconic lead singer and guitarist of The Cure—has been kicking it around in various formations of his band for over 30 years. His yelping, emotional vocals that accompany The Cure’s dense fabric of interlocking guitars and icy keyboards have made them modern-rock legends not only for the black-clad set, but the mainstream as well. To celebrate the band’s as-yet-untitled 13th studio album to be released in September, The Cure is releasing one single each month, starting with May 13th’s “The Only One” and followed up this Friday the 13th with “Freakshow.”
The band is hoping 13 is their lucky number as they embark on a tour to support their new album, but luck had nothing to do with their performance and reception at Los Angeles’s Hollywood Bowl this weekend. The historic amphitheater holds just under 18,000, and every ticket was sold—a testament to The Cure’s enduring appeal despite a fickle music industry and America’s addiction to disposable pop stars. Along with longtime member Simon Gallup on bass, drummer Jason Cooper and returning guitarist Porl Thompson, Smith wailed and awed the audience for over two-and-a-half hours with a set that represented the full range of The Cure’s remarkable career. Dark numbers like “One Hundred Years,” “The Forest” and “The Kiss” were balanced by sillier pop hits like “Friday I’m in Love” and “Hot Hot Hot!!!” The biggest reaction came for Cure staples like “Just Like Heaven,” “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Lovesong.” Gothic girls cried off their black eyeliner, lots of attractive young couples hung on to their dates, and original new wavers got to relive their college days again—except this time they brought their kids. Smith’s raccoon-eyed, protogoth visage might be a throwback to a bygone era, but clearly his band’s music has survived the test of time.
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"Oh, why can't I be you!" Wanted to go see them in NYC, but the tickets were an insane amount of money.