The Bunnymen afterward

The show was great, they put on a good performance and played for almost 2 hours, including 2 encores. I didn't notice the time pass, didn't want them to stop. No one else did either, despite it being past most of their bed times (the crowd was old.) I sang and danced and yelled, everything one should do at a pop/rock concert, (post-punk concert more precisely, as if there's a difference anymore).

Rather than boring the crowd by playing their new album in its entirety, as most of these 80s band do, they only played their new single,"Think I need it too",  although they did play it twice. Ballsy move.  They opened with the single and then played it again later.  Mac (the singer) also included the chorus in some encore vamping. It's a beautiful song.

Download here:Think I Need It Too
They've maintained their dignity as aging rockers. They don't write songs that sound like a band still trying to be 25 years old. Their songs are appropriate, mature, and they're still good at what they've always been good at.  It's unfortunate that now pop music has caught up to them, their resurgence hasn't been greaster, hasn't matched the weight of their influence. Especially on the current up-and-coming indie bands.

Speaking of oldies, there was an awesome ZZ Top biker looking dude. He had a long white beard down to his belly and wore sunglasses, inside a nightclub. First of all, he didn't look like a Bunnymen fan, more like the type of guy who would beat up Bunnymen fans in the 80s. Secondly, I haven't seen ANYONE in NYC that looked like that in all my 8 years of living here. To be THAT unique in THIS city is nothing short of spectacular. I wanted to shake his hand. I did help him out when he was asking the name of the opening act, "because this was just good old-timey rock". There was also some retro-pot lighted up inside, it smelled so skunky I think it may have been in someone's drawer since the Bunnymen tour in 1988.

Other than the obnoxious foursome to the left of me, I didn't see anyone under 30. I had wished the 20-something oily bull hunk was not there, or at least not right next to me. He tried to push himself and his girlfriend to the center of the crowd, by slowing pushing me out of the way, one inch at a time. I didn't think so. Everyone else in the crowd was nice and polite and no one pushed anyone except for these creeps.

The Bullhunk  and I got into a bit of a pissing contest. He pushed on my shoulders with his shoulders non-stop for the first part of the show. It grossed me out and made me want to move. But the second I'd give way, he'd take up the space. I didn't want this 250 pound 6 foot something man in front of me,making out with his girlfriend, so I resisted his pushing. I had the same thing coming from the nerd on the other side of me too. Finally, I'd had enough and just wanted to enjoy the show. So I shoved myself forward displacing both of them from the advances they'd made. After that, they both stopped and gave me room. Then I could breathe, and relax. It made me very happy to be 5'9" with broad swimmer's shoulders. No man is going to push me out of his way.


Download here:The Cutter, Mmmh.
As performed on a European TV show last year, it's a 25 year old song. The video shows what their performance was like, except we had no view because the stage had no lighting.  "Mac likes to be in a cave", so said the guy in the opening act.  The stage lights  mostly shone on the audience. Unfortunately. 

If you can listen to this and not think this is one of the best bands ever, then I don't know what else to say. A 2009 Coachella Festival reviewer (they played last year) said that this band and their music clearly still mattered. Amen.

Today I'm feeling mellow about my life. Not upset. Not happy, of course. Mostly just spent, emotionally. There's no anger or fear. It's all just quiet inside which is a good way to be, considering. I know I'll be okay. I've been through worse. I'm really, really, looking forward to the amazingly wonderful thing that's going to happen to me when this disaster ends. I don't know what it'll be, I just know it's there, it's coming my way. And I've earned it. [Last year, my reward for the summer 09 nightmare was meeting the Writer.]

5/02/10 Set list included (from what I remember): Think I need it too x2, Villiars Terrace, Nothing Lasts Forever, Bring on the Dancing Horses, Seven Seas, Never Stop, Zimbo, The Puppet, Silver, All That Jazz, Bedbugs and Ballyhoo, Killing Moon, The Cutter, (I think there was one song I didn't know...)
Encores: Do it Clean, Back of Love, Lips Like Sugar