Concert review: Tears for Fears rides wave of ’80s nostalgia, mixed with the new
Recently while anticipating Tears For Fears’ long-awaited concert at PNC Music Pavilion, my husband declared “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” as the seminal ‘80s song.
It was hard to argue watching a rapt crowd sing along with it three songs into Tears For Fears’ set Monday night at PNC Music Pavilion.
An hour or so later, as the crowd seemed to swoon in unison to another giant hit, “Head Over Heels,” I reflected on how huge ‘80’s nostalgia has gotten since Tears For Fears’ last Charlotte show (Aug. 26, 2010, at the much smaller Fillmore).
I remember the date because I had a baby that morning. My husband — with my blessing — went to see the show that night. He called it the best sounding show he’d ever seen. Those are high marks given he was a live sound engineer with extremely picky ears.
Even by my more forgiving standards, the sound Monday was practically perfect for the headliner as it kicked off its set with two new songs “No Small Thing” and the title track of its recent album “The Tipping Point.”
Later, I could hear others in the crowd remark about the crystalline piano and hushed percussion as backing vocalist Lauren Evans (taking over from Carina Round just this week) performed her astounding solo on “Suffer the Children.”
Despite a set spanning five decades (according to the band’s Roland Orzabal), and the first notes of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” and “Head Over Heels” sparking images of jelly bracelets, rat tails, and Val Kilmer in “Real Genius”, the show wasn’t all about nostalgia.
New songs like Curt Smith’s Trump-skewering ode to post-Hillary feminism, “Break the Man,” and the harder charged “My Demons” (aided by a swirling red light show) were some of the set’s highlights. “End Of Night” showcased Smith’s soaring falsetto.
Garbage time
Garbage, which opened the show, proved it hasn’t missed a beat with equally biting performances of “The Men Who Rule the World” and “Wolves” from last year’s fiery “No Gods No Masters.”
Led by the ageless Shirley Manson (somehow 55 in ‘80s-inspired day-glow tights and sunglasses), Garbage charged through hits “Push It,” “Stupid Girl” and “Cherry Lips”, and reworked “Special,” “Queer,” and “Only Happy When It Rains” with somewhat moodier arrangements.
It also doled out a few surprises in “Wicked Ways,” which morphed temporarily into Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus” and ended its set with the slow burning “You Look So Fine.” Bathed in hot pink and red lights that appeared to set her orange hair ablaze, Manson closed the song with a lyrical nod to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.”
Back to the ‘80s
Like Manson, Smith and Orzabal, both 60, defy age. Smith still looks rather boyish with close-cropped waves and black polo shirt. Orzabal’s flowing white hair — while indicative of his years — gives him a wizardly look fit for “Harry Potter” or “Lord of the Rings.”
Like its other hits, “Mad World” and “Sowing the Seeds” reconfirmed Tears For Fears’ ability to span age and race.
The rather diverse crowd saw children actually dancing beside their parents during the aforementioned songs as well as “Break It Down Again” (from Orzabal’s Smith-free era album “Elemental”) and “Shout.”
As the encore, “Shout” oddly didn’t hit quite as big with the crowd as “Heels” had earlier in the set, although it benefited from Orzabal’s impressive guitar solo.
Despite it being the hottest day of 2022 so far, which both bands noted repeatedly, neither bands nor fans ever appeared sluggish or weighed down by the heat. I’ve certainly seen hotter shows there (Warped Tours in July are memorably miserable).
As we exited the parking lot my husband turned to our two boys in the backseat: “‘Top Gun’ is the No. 1 movie. Kate Bush has the No. 1 streaming song (thanks to `80s-set ‘Stranger Things’) and we’re on our way home from a Tears For Fears concert. It really is 1986 all over again kids.”
And for a few hours, the grind of post-pandemic, post-January 6 tension washed away in favor of what now seems like a simpler time.