Concert Review: The Psychedelic Furs 7/18/13

After I believe three previous efforts to see these guys, I finally bring you a Concert Review for The Psychedelic Furs! The show took place 7/18/13 at Antone's here in Austin, Texas.

The Psychedelic Furs. Left to right: Mars Williams (clarinet and saxophone), Richard Butler (vocals), and Tim Butler (bass guitar). Photo taken by me.

I've tried for the last four years, I believe, to see the Psychedelic Furs. I've bought tickets about three or four times, but inevitably I'd end up having an exam get scheduled or a major presentation or project the day after the show, ultimately thwarting my chance to see these guys live. Last night, the stars finally seemed to align just right and I was able to go to the sold out show here in Austin!

This was my first time at Antone's, either the old venue which is now Infest or the new one. The venue was smaller than I expected (I figured Antone's would upgrade in size much like their neighbor, Emo's, did compared to their original downtown location), but I much prefer smaller intimate shows, so this wasn't a problem. I got to the venue a little before doors officially opened, but they were letting people in early, so I went in and managed to get near well to front and center.

The Technicolors were the sole openers for the night. I think I've heard of them before, but didn't know their music or much of anything about them. The Technicolors are a five piece indie rock group hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, that formed a few years ago. They are currently signed to Tallest Man Records and have released only one album so far entitled Listener.

The Technicolors. Photo taken by me.

Their set consisted of seven songs including a brilliant cover of a song I know I've heard before but don't know the name of and cannot find to save my life (I know, very descriptive, but it wasn't on their set list, so I have no idea what it is).

On the whole, The Technicolors played with great enthusiasm, energy, and smiles all around. The person on electric piano was head banging the entire time and possibly the most energetic of the group (which is saying a lot as everyone was killing it, to be honest). The sound seemed a bit off like certain parts weren't balanced right (I had a hard time hearing the guitar parts their singer would play). I'll be listening to these guys on Spotify as I think they're a band I could get into over time.

Setlist for The Technicolors

After The Technicolors finished, it was time for the Furs! The Psychedelic Furs were one of the many post-punk/New Wave bands to emerge from the shambles of the punk scene in 1977 in England. The group is led by brothers Richard Butler (vocals) and Tim Butler (bass guitar). The current line up also includes Paul Garisto (drums), Mars Williams (clarinet and saxophone), Rich Good (guitar), and Amanda Kramer (keyboards). The band has released seven albums, the last being in 1991 before going on hiatus for a few years. Currently, the Furs tour rather extensively, performing many of their famous hit songs and even some lesser known favorites.

As we waited with eager anticipation, the crowd started to get closer. A woman next to me asked if we could possibly make some room for her in the front. Apparently she is from New York but had been flying around the country following the Furs on this tour. That is what I call fan star level 500. Impressive!

The Psychedelic Furs took the stage to loud cries from the crowd and started into "Highwire Days." The band sounded great and once Richard Butler (singer) took to the stage with the rest of the band, the audience just went absolutely crazy. Everyone looked great and sounded amazing and this was just the opening.

Tim Butler. Photo taken by me.

The set continued on with many favorites including "Heartbeat," "Ghost in You," "Love My Way," "Mr. Jones," and "Heaven." Throughout the set, the band maintained incredible energy and immaculate sound. Richard's vocals were absolutely spot on. The group returned to the stage for an encore of "Pretty in Pink" and "Sleep Comes Down."

It's hard to pick my favorite aspect of the show. After all these years, Richard and Tim still have it. Richard often reminded me of a young guy fronting a band, not believing that there were people in the audience that loved his music and thought he was great. He always appeared so happy to be singing to us, jumping around constantly, smiling a big toothy grin from ear to ear, and thanking us after nearly every song. I just felt so happy to support that kind of attitude. Tim was great, wearing his typical "stunna" shades, as I like to call them. He also constantly got close to people in the crowd, staring us down in the eye and singing the lyrics to us (a combination of awesome, intimidating, and perhaps just a dash of creepy to boot...I uploaded the video I took of "Heaven" so you can see for yourselves just what I mean).

Mars Williams may have been the most impressive, to me. This guy sounded amazing and was running all over the stage, blasting away on clarinet and saxophone, at times playing both at the same time! If I could, I'd give him a hug and tell him how sensational he was. Paul and Amanda were also great, but obviously constrained to one place given the instruments they play, but no less important as the songs would not be the same without them. Rich did a fantastic job on guitar and I swear I've seen him before with another band, but I cannot place it. All around great performances from everyone!

This was certainly not a show to miss and I feel sorry for those who didn't get the chance to enjoy this sold out show. It was a long time waiting, but the wait was most certainly worth it. 36 years later and the Furs most definitely still have it. Do not pass up an opportunity to see these guys if you can!

I bought the last copy of Talk Talk Talk on LP and signed by the band. Also shown is my ticket stub and the set list Richard walked all over :-)

Ratings:

The Technicolors - 4.5 out of 5 (wish the sound issues were resolved)

The Psychedelic Furs - 5 out of 5

More Information: Official Site of The Technicolors Official Site of The Psychedelic Furs


Extra videos I took:

"Pretty in Pink"

"Sleep Comes Down"