“I don’t want to encourage bad behavior, but we’re all here to have a good time!” cheeky singer and fashion plate Boy George declared midway through his set at Coachman Park's BayCare Sound on Friday night. And having a good time is exactly what the Gen-X crowd did for the night.
An uncommonly breezy night set the perfect tone for the outdoor performance, which was kicked off by the always engaging and flamboyant superstar and focal point of the successful 1980s band, Culture Club. Currently out on a co-headlining tour with superb British pop band Squeeze, George and his dynamic band were tasked with warming up the crowd for the evening.
Taking the stage just before 8 p.m, Boy George and his large ensemble (including two backup singers) opened their set in an unorthodox fashion. Kicking off with a cover of a well-known song most associated with another giant of the music world, the group started with a dramatic rendition of Prince's “Purple Rain." The track, which shares a title with both the film and its accompanying soundtrack from the late Minnesota icon, were an interesting choice for the opening of this set, but it wouldn’t be the only cover Boy George would dive into.
Throughout his 70-minute set, George and company would tackle a rollicking version of T. Rex’s “Get it On (Bang a Gong),” and “Smalltown Boy,” a gay anthem from the 1980s originally recorded by Brixton-based synth-pop outfit Bronski Beat. This is not to say that George’s material, both from his solo years and as the lead singer of Culture Club wouldn’t figure prominently as well, though.
Clad in a black jacket, tall hot pink hat, and pants adorned with anarchy symbols, George was in a playful mood and did plenty to rile up the crowd and interact with them.
While the register of his singing voice doesn’t fully resemble what listeners might be used to from his stack of hit singles with Culture Club, George has adopted a lower, huskier, and more soulful tone in his delivery. Admittedly, his vocal abilities seemed to improve and pack more of a punch as the night wore on and was stellar by the time the set, which seemed to fly by too quickly, was all over.
Early in the set, when he dusted off “Karma Chameleon,” the first of many Culture Club hits performed, most of the audience lost what little inhibitions it might have brought to the venue and rose from its seats to dance wildly and sing along. That momentum continued throughout the night, despite some more familiar arrangements being traded in for new approaches for some of those well-known ‘80s hits.
“Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” was given more of a ska-slash-jazz arrangement, which didn’t seem to bother the crowd at all, as they passionately sang along to every lyric. Strong, Motown-inspired vibes were alive and well for another Culture Club smash hit, “Church of the Poison Mind,” too. One of the backup singers, Natalie Palmer (who George slyly introduced as “my wife”) shone consistently throughout the night, but never so much as during this tune. Her strong, powerful vocals carried throughout the venue and injected plenty of soul and grit into the song. For good measure, George threw in a verse from another 1980s hit, Wham’s “I’m Your Man,” to add to the joyfulness he and the band were exuding from the stage.
A costume change found George sporting a similarly-styled hat (but this time in orange) and a yellowish/lime green jacket with the words and graffiti scrawled on the backside of it. More hits came, including the theme song of the 1992 film “The Crying Game,” and a reggae-tinged cover of 1970s soft rock band Bread’s “Everything I Own.”
At one point, George encouraged the crowd to make their way to the front of the venue and, in an instant, dozens of attendees ditched their chairs and filled up every inch of the wide area that separates the stage from the front row of seats to dance and sing along.
“I’m in a really good mood because we got a really good review in Forbes!” George mentioned during the set, referring to a glowing concert review that the publication recently posted after one of his performances. Based on the party atmosphere he conjured onstage, and the sheer entertainment value he provided during his set for this night, Boy George can rest assured that, at this stage of his career, plenty more really good reviews are sure to follow him.
The night’s headliners, exquisite British pop band Squeeze, followed and began its set with a bang. A loud and brawny version of “Take Me, I’m Yours” from its 1978 debut, self-titled album was a perfect introductory song for the barrage of pop gems the band would unleash throughout its set. Co-writers and band founders Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook were both in fine voice, and their trademark harmonies sounded rich and defined.
Boasting an eight-piece band including a couple of keyboardists and a percussionist, the band sounded full and bold. Songs like the bouncy, sing-along “Hourglass” were punctuated by the band’s shiny delivery and encouraged plenty to rise from their seats to dance gleefully.
Letting the audience know that the band is currently busy making a record, Squeeze performed “You Get the Feeling,” a new, as-of-yet unreleased track from that forthcoming album that harkened back to the band’s classic, traditional pop mastery.
Unleashing hit after hit, the band and Tilbrook’s still-sweet and soulful vocal delivery and his astounding guitar chops only got better as the audience grew more engaged. An accordion and a steel guitar helped give “Goodbye Girl” more of a country feel, which suited it perfectly.
Similar to the audience rush that occurred during Boy George’s opening set, the band encouraged the audience to make its way closer to the stage midway through its set. For “Slap and Tickle,” another hit for the band in its homeland from 1979, many deserted their chairs for a place at the front to get closer to the magic Squeeze was creating onstage.
As familiar songs made their way to the setlist, the audience’s enthusiasm continued to grow. Singing along to Squeeze classics like “Tempted” and “Cool for Cats,” a glimpse around the venue found the majority of patrons wearing huge smiles and gladly singing every lyric to each of those songs.
The band wrapped its all-too-short set with its 1982 MTV staple, “Black Coffee in Bed,” a song that sounds like it was written with audience chants and a call-and-response aspect baked into it. Again, the crowd gladly partook in singing back lines and lyrics as Tilbrook guided them and encouraged them to add their parts to the tune.
In retrospect, the night proved to be a fun, joyful event that only proved that it's very possible and doable to perform songs from a lengthy career and deliver them in a manner that still sounds fresh and exciting. Lots of terms get thrown around when it comes to acts with the tenure that both Boy George and Squeeze are associated with legacy acts, nostalgia acts, etc. What this double bill proved is that great music has no expiration and that passion and dedication are two key elements for remaining relevant and worthwhile.
Both names proved just that to everyone lucky enough to be in attendance at this fine show.
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An uncommonly breezy night set the perfect tone for the outdoor performance, which was kicked off by the always engaging and flamboyant superstar and focal point of the successful 1980s band, Culture Club. Currently out on a co-headlining tour with superb British pop band Squeeze, George and his dynamic band were tasked with warming up the crowd for the evening.
Taking the stage just before 8 p.m, Boy George and his large ensemble (including two backup singers) opened their set in an unorthodox fashion. Kicking off with a cover of a well-known song most associated with another giant of the music world, the group started with a dramatic rendition of Prince's “Purple Rain." The track, which shares a title with both the film and its accompanying soundtrack from the late Minnesota icon, were an interesting choice for the opening of this set, but it wouldn’t be the only cover Boy George would dive into.
Throughout his 70-minute set, George and company would tackle a rollicking version of T. Rex’s “Get it On (Bang a Gong),” and “Smalltown Boy,” a gay anthem from the 1980s originally recorded by Brixton-based synth-pop outfit Bronski Beat. This is not to say that George’s material, both from his solo years and as the lead singer of Culture Club wouldn’t figure prominently as well, though.
Clad in a black jacket, tall hot pink hat, and pants adorned with anarchy symbols, George was in a playful mood and did plenty to rile up the crowd and interact with them.
While the register of his singing voice doesn’t fully resemble what listeners might be used to from his stack of hit singles with Culture Club, George has adopted a lower, huskier, and more soulful tone in his delivery. Admittedly, his vocal abilities seemed to improve and pack more of a punch as the night wore on and was stellar by the time the set, which seemed to fly by too quickly, was all over.
Early in the set, when he dusted off “Karma Chameleon,” the first of many Culture Club hits performed, most of the audience lost what little inhibitions it might have brought to the venue and rose from its seats to dance wildly and sing along. That momentum continued throughout the night, despite some more familiar arrangements being traded in for new approaches for some of those well-known ‘80s hits.
“Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” was given more of a ska-slash-jazz arrangement, which didn’t seem to bother the crowd at all, as they passionately sang along to every lyric. Strong, Motown-inspired vibes were alive and well for another Culture Club smash hit, “Church of the Poison Mind,” too. One of the backup singers, Natalie Palmer (who George slyly introduced as “my wife”) shone consistently throughout the night, but never so much as during this tune. Her strong, powerful vocals carried throughout the venue and injected plenty of soul and grit into the song. For good measure, George threw in a verse from another 1980s hit, Wham’s “I’m Your Man,” to add to the joyfulness he and the band were exuding from the stage.
A costume change found George sporting a similarly-styled hat (but this time in orange) and a yellowish/lime green jacket with the words and graffiti scrawled on the backside of it. More hits came, including the theme song of the 1992 film “The Crying Game,” and a reggae-tinged cover of 1970s soft rock band Bread’s “Everything I Own.”
At one point, George encouraged the crowd to make their way to the front of the venue and, in an instant, dozens of attendees ditched their chairs and filled up every inch of the wide area that separates the stage from the front row of seats to dance and sing along.
“I’m in a really good mood because we got a really good review in Forbes!” George mentioned during the set, referring to a glowing concert review that the publication recently posted after one of his performances. Based on the party atmosphere he conjured onstage, and the sheer entertainment value he provided during his set for this night, Boy George can rest assured that, at this stage of his career, plenty more really good reviews are sure to follow him.
The night’s headliners, exquisite British pop band Squeeze, followed and began its set with a bang. A loud and brawny version of “Take Me, I’m Yours” from its 1978 debut, self-titled album was a perfect introductory song for the barrage of pop gems the band would unleash throughout its set. Co-writers and band founders Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook were both in fine voice, and their trademark harmonies sounded rich and defined.
Boasting an eight-piece band including a couple of keyboardists and a percussionist, the band sounded full and bold. Songs like the bouncy, sing-along “Hourglass” were punctuated by the band’s shiny delivery and encouraged plenty to rise from their seats to dance gleefully.
Letting the audience know that the band is currently busy making a record, Squeeze performed “You Get the Feeling,” a new, as-of-yet unreleased track from that forthcoming album that harkened back to the band’s classic, traditional pop mastery.
Unleashing hit after hit, the band and Tilbrook’s still-sweet and soulful vocal delivery and his astounding guitar chops only got better as the audience grew more engaged. An accordion and a steel guitar helped give “Goodbye Girl” more of a country feel, which suited it perfectly.
Similar to the audience rush that occurred during Boy George’s opening set, the band encouraged the audience to make its way closer to the stage midway through its set. For “Slap and Tickle,” another hit for the band in its homeland from 1979, many deserted their chairs for a place at the front to get closer to the magic Squeeze was creating onstage.
As familiar songs made their way to the setlist, the audience’s enthusiasm continued to grow. Singing along to Squeeze classics like “Tempted” and “Cool for Cats,” a glimpse around the venue found the majority of patrons wearing huge smiles and gladly singing every lyric to each of those songs.
The band wrapped its all-too-short set with its 1982 MTV staple, “Black Coffee in Bed,” a song that sounds like it was written with audience chants and a call-and-response aspect baked into it. Again, the crowd gladly partook in singing back lines and lyrics as Tilbrook guided them and encouraged them to add their parts to the tune.
In retrospect, the night proved to be a fun, joyful event that only proved that it's very possible and doable to perform songs from a lengthy career and deliver them in a manner that still sounds fresh and exciting. Lots of terms get thrown around when it comes to acts with the tenure that both Boy George and Squeeze are associated with legacy acts, nostalgia acts, etc. What this double bill proved is that great music has no expiration and that passion and dedication are two key elements for remaining relevant and worthwhile.
Both names proved just that to everyone lucky enough to be in attendance at this fine show.
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