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Concert Fri May 16 2008
Concert Review: Duran Duran @ Rosemont Theater
Arriving an hour early, I had plenty of time to take in the beauty and class that is the Rosemont Theater. The grand chandelier, the plush carpet and winding stairway to the balcony, all add to the ambiance. The posters adverting Lord of the Dance and Disney Playhouse, all of the grade school aged kids walking around with their parents… wait I thought I was here for a rock concert. True, the crowd was diverse and slightly aged, and the Rosemont Theater is not going house the next Crystal Castles or Black Kids concert, but I was still anxious to hear what Simon and boys (ok, men) had to offer.
The opening band was from Leeds, England, but they go by the name Your Vegas. I have to credit lead singer Coyle Girelli for performing with a broken foot, but the bands music was simply ordinary. Advertised as “anthem rock”, everything was in its place, but I think that was the problem. The keyboards played their a role, the guitars hummed along, Coyle sang seemingly heart felt amped up ballads, but I may as well have been watching any number of average sounding radio-ready bands. The most entertaining aspect of the set was the idiot in the front row waving a giant plastic hand in front of the stage. In between songs, I ask my wife just how a band comes to play such generic music. Her answer… “Money”. I nodded.
The last time I had seen Duran Duran live was at “Twisted Christmas 4” in December of 1997. I remember Simon LeBon being a little aloof and disinterested, but that may be attributed to following the one hit wonders Chumbawamba, and sharing a bill with 311. Now ten years later, Duran Duran is back again touring in support of last year’s release, Red Carpet Massacre, which found them working with the likes of Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. Unexpected collaborations, maybe, just ask Madonna.
As the band took the stage I was less then enthused, but being surrounded by fourty-somethings screaming and jumping like teens, I couldn’t help but grin. The crowd was juiced, craving the first pulse, a small glimpse, a memory in sound. Dressed in interesting jackets with either ‘DD’ or ‘RCM’ on the pocket (which I am sure were for sale in the lobby) the “wild boys” launch their nearly two hour sets with a few new songs. Tight electronics, danceable beats, and the trademark high-pitched croon, it was all there. The crowd enjoyed the songs, but it wasn’t until ‘Hungry Like a Wolf’ began to bubble that they really started to move. Simon danced and shook like he was completely possessed with by music. At one point he jumped into the air and through a huge karate kick, and at another he began to sing into the wrong end of the cordless mic. He smiled, threw a wink, and kept going. Even though he was performing songs that he had been singing for 25 years, he sang them with energy and passion. It felt like he had just written “Girls on Film” yesterday and couldn’t wait to share it with everyone. He was having fun, dancing and joking, and it was clear he wouldn’t have spent his Wednesday night any other way. I was caught up in the energy and lights, and found myself mouthing the words to "Come Undone" and "Ordinary World". They closed the set with "Wild Boys", and I walked out satisfied and smiling, leaving the encore to the dedicated fans and their kids.
