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The Cure triumphs at Merriweather

Marathon three-hour set packs hits, deep cuts

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the Cure, gay news, Washington Blade

Robert Smith of the Cure. (Photo by Bill Ebbesen; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Last Wednesday, June 22, British alternative-rock titans the Cure brought its first extensive tour of America in nearly a decade to Merriweather Post Pavilion. A sea of people packed the venue on a beautiful summer night to see one of the most enduring and influential bands of the last 40 years.

It was clear from the beginning that the Cure has lost none of its considerable power, as members started the show with the fiery rocker “Open” from their 1992 album “Wish.”

Robert Smith looked and sounded much like he always has. He walked out on stage in his usual disheveled black frock, dark spiderweb hair and mussed red lipstick. Smith is now 57, but his distinct swampwater voice is as powerful as ever. Over the course of 32 songs, he switched back and forth between acoustic and electric guitar, keeping the between-song banter to a minimum (and most of the time his thickly accented mumbles were inaudible anyway). Bassist Simon Gallup, who has been alongside Smith since almost the beginning, stalked around the stage with restlessly intensity, while guitarist Reeves Gabrels, keyboardist Roger O’Donnell and drummer Jason Cooper formed a tightly wound and explosive musical unit. One might argue that Simon Gallup’s bass was too high in the mix and Roger O’Donnell’s keyboard was a bit too low, but that would be a minor quibble. By and large the Cure sounded fantastic.

The band effortlessly switched from brooding rockers to somber emotional pieces to ebullient pop, the schizophrenic combination for which the Cure is so famous. The crowd was incredibly enthusiastic as the band traipsed through its enormous catalog, pulling out big hits, deep album cuts and a few obscurities for the die-hards. “Pictures of You” was an early highlight, with the spine-tingling swirls of keyboard and guitar backing Smith’s bittersweet memories of a love he let slip through his fingers. Big hits like “Just Like Heaven,” “The Walk,” “In Between Days” and “Lovesong” had the large and surprisingly diverse crowd singing along to every word. The rarely played “Bananafishbones” was a treat, as was “All I Want,” a hard-edged deep cut the band dusted off from 1987’s “Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me.” The behemoth of the main set was the seven-minute epic “From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea,” which featured blistering guitar work by Gabrels.

The band played four encores, beginning with the throbbing bass-heavy “Sinking” from 1986’s “The Head on the Door.” An incendiary take on “Shake Dog Shake” was followed by the 1994 soundtrack hit “Burn” from “The Crow,” and then their old warhorse “A Forest,” a classic from 1980’s “Seventeen Seconds.” As the night wound toward its conclusion, the band amped the crowd to a fever pitch as they rampaged through a series of hits including “Lullaby,” “Wrong Number,” “Fascination Street,” “Let’s Go to Bed” and “Close to Me.”

By the time of “Why Can’t I Be You?,” a clearly winded Robert Smith gamely tried to hit the song’s very high notes without much success, but it hardly mattered — the crowd did a wonderful job filling in for him, singing every word with blissful euphoria. The show closed with “Boys Don’t Cry,” a 1979 single that was never a hit on either side of the Atlantic but somehow 37 years later a packed amphitheater in suburban D.C. sang a long to every word as if it was a worldwide chart-topper.

At the end of the epic three-hour show Merriweather was still full. After the band waved their goodbyes to thunderous applause, Robert Smith stood alone in the spotlight on the stage, basking in the crowd’s love and appreciation. He paused momentarily in front of each section as the entire place stood and cheered, arms in the air clapping wildly. It was an amazing moment. Smith seemed like he didn’t want to leave the stage, he was so obviously touched and moved. Eventually he shambled off, looking over his shoulder one last time at the still-standing, still enthusiastically cheering crowd, and it was finally over just as the clock was hitting 11 p.m.

1.  Open [“Wish” – 1992]
2.  High [“Wish” – 1992]
3.  Pictures of You [“Disintegration” – 1989]
4. Closedown [“Disintegration” – 1989]
5. Kyoto Song [“The Head on the Door” – 1985]
6. A Night Like This [“The Head on the Door” – 1985]
7. The Walk [non-album single – 1983]
8. The End of the World [“The Cure” – 2004]
9. Lovesong [“Disintegration” – 1989]
10. If Only Tonight We Could Sleep [“Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” – 1987]
11. All I Want [“Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” – 1987]
12. Push [“The Head on the Door” – 1985]
13. In Between Days [“The Head on the Door” – 1985]
14. Just Like Heaven [“Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” – 1987]
15. Bananafishbones [“The Top” – 1984]
16. Never Enough [“Mixed Up” – 1990]
17. From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea [“Wish” – 1992]
18. End [“Wish” – 1992]

Encore 1

19. Sinking [“The Head on the Door” – 1985]
20. It Could Never Be The Same [new unreleased track]

Encore 2

21. Shake Dog Shake [“The Top” – 1984]
22. Burn [“The Crow” Soundtrack – 1994]
23. A Forest [“Seventeen Seconds” – 1980]

Encore 3

24. Dressing Up [“The Top” – 1984]
25. Lullaby [“Disintegration” – 1989]
26. Fascination Street [“Disintegration” – 1989]
27. Wrong Number [new single for “Galore” hits collection – 1997]

Encore 4

28. Hot Hot Hot!!! [“Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” – 1987]
29. Let’s Go to Bed [non-album single – 1982]
30. Close to Me [“The Head on the Door” – 1985]
31. Why Can’t I Be You? [“Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” – 1987]
32. Boys Don’t Cry [non-album single – 1979]

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Music & Concerts

Tom Goss returns with ‘Bear Friends Furever Tour’

Out singer/songwriter to perform at Red Bear Brewing Co.

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Singer Tom Goss is back. (Photo by Dusti Cunningham)

Singer Tom Goss will bring his “Bear Friends Furever Tour” to D.C. on Sunday, June 8 at 8 p.m. at Red Bear Brewing Co. 

Among the songs he will perform will be “Bear Soup,” the fourth installment in his beloved bear song anthology series. Following fan favorites like “Bears,” “Round in All the Right Places,” and “Nerdy Bear,” this high-energy, bass-thumping banger celebrates body positivity, joyful indulgence, and the vibrant spirit of the bear subculture.

For more details, visit Tom Goss’s website.

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Music & Concerts

Kylie brings ‘Tension’ tour to D.C.

Performance on Tuesday at Capital One Arena

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Kylie Minogue visits D.C. on Tuesday.

Aussie pop icon Kylie Minogue brings her acclaimed “Tension” world tour to D.C. next Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Capital One Arena. Tickets are still available at Ticketmaster.

The show features songs spanning her long career, from 1987 debut single, “The Loco-Motion,” to “Padam, Padam” from her album, “Tension.”

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Music & Concerts

Busy season for live music in D.C.

Erivo, Kylie, Sivan, and more headed our way this spring

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Cynthia Erivo plays WorldPride in D.C. on June 7. (Photo courtesy of World Pride)

One sure sign of spring’s arrival is the fresh wave of live music coming to Washington. With more than 10 venues and a diverse lineup of artists, the city offers no shortage of live performances for the new season.

In addition to this impressive list, don’t forget the many artists coming to town for WorldPride, May 17-June 8. In addition to headliner Cynthia Erivo performing on Saturday, June 7 at the two-day street festival and concert, many other performers will be in town. Jennifer Lopez, Troye Sivan, and RuPaul are among the featured performers at the WorldPride Music Festival at the RFK Festival Grounds, June 6-7. Visit WorldPrideDC.org for a list of other performers.

MARCH

Grammy and Emmy Award-winning Mary J. Blige will take the stage at Capital One Arena on March 26 for her For My Fans tour. Two days later, on March 28, J Balvin will also perform at Capital One Arena for his Back to the Rayo tour.

The Lincoln Theatre will host the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington for three performances—one on March 15 and two on March 16.

If dance parties are more your vibe, you’re in luck. DC9 is hosting a series of themed dance parties this month, starting with Poker Face: 2000s + Dance Party on March 14, the ever-popular Peach Pit ’90s dance party on March 15, H.O.T.S.: A Sapphic Dance Party on March 22, and RageRiot!—a burlesque and drag revue featuring a lineup of local drag kings, queens, and everything in between on March 29.

APRIL

Kylie Minogue brings her ‘Tension Tour’ to D.C. in April.

Australian queen of pop Kylie Minogue will bring her Tension tour to Capital One Arena on April 8, with British dance artist Romy as her special guest.

Indie singer-songwriter mxmtoon will stop in D.C. for their Liminal Space tour on April 4 at the 9:30 club, followed by indie rock band Gossip on April 5. The 9:30 club will also host two dance parties in April: Gimme Gimme Disco – a dance party inspired by ABBA on April 11 and Broadway Rave on April 18.

The Atlantis will feature Brooklyn-based indie rock band Pom Pom Squad on April 2.

Comedy duo Two Dykes and a Mic will bring their Going Hog Wild tour to the Howard Theatre on April 19.

DC9 has two dance parties lined up this month: Bimbo Night on April 4, hosted by Baltimore’s “premier red-tattooed Filipina diva” Beth Amphetamine, and Aqua Girls: A QTBIPOC Dance Party on April 5, celebrating “queer transcendence through music, movement, and community.”

The Anthem will welcome a lineup of big names in April, starting with Alessia Cara on April 8. Lucy Dacus will take the stage on April 18 and 19 for her Forever Is a Feeling tour, while funky pop artist Remi Wolf will headline on April 27, joined by special guests Dana and Alden.

MAY

Indie-pop artist Miya Folick will bring her Erotica Veronica tour to The Atlantis on May 1, followed by multi-genre musician SASAMI on May 2. Pop artist Snow Wife will close out the month at The Atlantis on May 31 as part of an official WorldPride 2025 event.

Queer rock band Lambrini Girls will perform at the Howard Theatre on May 4, while rock trio L.A. Witch will take the stage at DC9 on May 12.

Union Stage will feature Rachel Platten on May 3 for her Set Me Free tour, followed by Femme Fatale: A Queer Dance Party later that night.

The popular DJ festival Project Glow will return to RFK Stadium grounds on May 31 and June 1.

JUNE

Pride month kicks off with “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Trixie Mattel, who will perform at Echostage on June 3 as part of a series of official WorldPride 2025 events.

Queer icons Grace Jones & Janelle Monáe will take over The Anthem on June 5 for a WorldPride 2025 event performance.

Perfume Genius will bring his signature sound to the 9:30 club on June 7 as part of WorldPride 2025 festivities. Later in the month, Blondshell will hit the 9:30 club for her If You Asked for a Tour on June 24.

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