Current:Home > MarketsBoy George, Squeeze team for gleefully nostalgic tour. 'There's a lot of joy in this room' -Profound Wealth Insights
Boy George, Squeeze team for gleefully nostalgic tour. 'There's a lot of joy in this room'
View
Date:2025-04-12 05:50:03
VIENNA, Va. – As nostalgia tours go, the pairing of Boy George and Squeeze is a peppy combination.
The reams of hits the flashy-fun Boy George crafted with Culture Club are not only staples on ‘80s-centric playlists, but enduring – and endearing – singalongs that spotlight a brand of pop and soul that should be appreciated more often.
The New Wave-leaning pop of Squeeze – celebrating 50 years with founding members Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford fronting a fashionable crackerjack band – absolutely thrives in a live setting, allowing their lush stylings room to flourish.
Since August, the two acts have shared a bill – amusingly dubbed the Squeeze Me Boy George USA Tour - that will scale the East Coast through Sept. 22.
On Sept. 10 at Wolf Trap amphitheater in northern Virginia, fans filled with affection for both acts (though Squeeze might have scored more tipsy dancing devotees) relished a romp through the late-‘70s and ‘80s with three collective hours of taut throwbacks and a few surprises.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
More:Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band still rock, quake and shake after 50 years
Boy George sparkles with sass
A few months removed from a stint on Broadway in “Moulin Rouge,” the always bold Boy George seemed to savor his time onstage. He mixed new tracks (the pulsing “Mind Your Own Existence”) with Culture Club classics (a surprisingly early appearance of “Karma Chameleon,” the irresistible bounce of “It’s a Miracle”) and wry commentary (“I’m looking forward to the (presidential) debate. No opinion. I just want drama!”), usually with some level of a wicked grin.
In his now-trademark rounded top hat with pink stars plopped above green-shaded, glitter-spackled eyes, Boy George snapped his fingers and slapped his thigh as he sparred with his band members during a sprightly mashup of “Church of the Poison Mind” and Wham!’s “I’m Your Man.”
There might be a little bit of dust on his upper range, but the smooth overtones that are a Boy George signature are well preserved, evidenced on the melancholy shades of “The Crying Game” and the poignant “Suddenly I’m Wiser.”
At 63, Boy George has also grown contemplative. He noted that as he’s aged, his thinking has shifted: He no longer has opinions about things he can’t control.
That led to “Mrs. Blame,” a boisterous hoedown by way of Ireland that is easily one of his most intriguing newer works.
A cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain” concluded Boy George’s hourlong set, a choice well-suited to a voice that remains a distinctive, malleable instrument.
More:Sting talks upcoming tour, friendship with Billy Joel and loving Austin Butler in 'Dune'
Squeeze exhibits New Wave exuberance
From the first notes of the opening “Take Me I’m Yours,” Squeeze confirmed that this is a band whose catalog is best appreciated live.
Seven musicians joined Tilbrook, 67, and Difford, 69 – most clad in purple or peach blazers or vests, looking both stylish and era-appropriate – as they rolled through a 75-minute joyride of classics and newly reworked material.
Tilbrook, one of the most underrated guitarists of his time, dug into fierce solos on “Hourglass” and “Up the Junction,” while Difford – Tilbrook’s partner in executing a cool professorial vibe – anchored robust harmonies.
In addition to benchmark songs such as the glide-and-stomp “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell),” performed with neon green and red hues brightening the stage, and “Goodbye Girl,” which somehow makes accordion, mandolin and cowbell mesh successfully, Squeeze shared some new-old material with the crowd.
“One Beautiful Summer,” a song born out of rerecording a “lost” Squeeze album from 50 years ago, was particularly affecting with its multilayered harmonies provided by eight of the nine musicians onstage.
“You Get the Feeling” and “Trixie’s Hell on Earth” also held the crowd’s attention, the former mellifluous and the latter punctuated by jaunty keyboards.
While Tilbrook’s identifiable tenor is mostly intact, the feverish work of the band sometimes overpowered his vocals. But the unvarnished rendition of Squeeze’s biggest U.S. hit, the clever “Tempted,” allowed his voice to gleam.
With the stage outlined in hot pink, Tilbrook strummed the song’s melody on his electric guitar, maintaining a minimalist vibe as the crowd happily sang along until the band kicked in for the final coda.
“There’s a lot of joy in this room,” Difford noted earlier in the set, a statement that could not be doubted.
veryGood! (351)
Related
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Emma Hayes realistic about USWNT work needed to get back on top of world. What she said
- Ivan Cornejo weathers heartbreak on new album 'Mirada': 'Everything is going to be fine'
- The facts about Kamala Harris' role on immigration in the Biden administration
- Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
- Paris Olympics: LeBron James to Serve as Flagbearer for Team USA at Opening Ceremony
- Police bodyguard accused of fraud and false statements about alleged affair with mayor
- Local sheriff says shots fired inside an Iowa mall
- Average rate on 30
- Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively Reveal Name of Baby No. 4
Ranking
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- Dan Aykroyd revisits the Blues Brothers’ remarkable legacy in new Audible Original
- US Olympic Committee sues Logan Paul's Prime energy drink over copyright violation claims
- Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2024: The Best Deals on Accessories From Celine, Dagne Dover, Coach & More
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Fourth Wing TV Show Reveals New Details That Will Have You Flying High
- In Washington state, Inslee’s final months aimed at staving off repeal of landmark climate law
- MLB trade deadline: Should these bubble teams buy or sell?
Recommendation
The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
3 Army Reserve officers disciplined after reservist killed 18 people last October in Maine
2024 Olympics: A Guide to All the Couples Competing at the Paris Games
Carlee Russell Breaks Silence One Year After Kidnapping Hoax
Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
Blake Lively and Gigi Hadid Are Simply the Perfect Match With Deadpool & Wolverine After-Party Looks
Team USA Basketball Showcase highlights: US squeaks past Germany in final exhibition game
'Doing what she loved': Skydive pilot killed in plane crash near Niagara Falls