Tears For Fears Live (A Tipping Point Movie)

I should start this review by explaining how much I love the band Tears For Fears. I have been a huge fan since I first heard their work in the early 1980s, and my love for their music has only grown stronger over the years.

Comprised of the core duo of childhood friends Roland Orzabal (who writes the vast majority of the songs) and Curt Smith, with various musicians coming in and out of the band over the years (including the great Ian Stanley and Manny Elias), Tears For Fears has been a formidable act in music for many years, selling millions of records and performing sold out shows worldwide.

They released some classic albums in the 80s, like 1981's "The Hurting," which includes such great songs as "Pale Shelter," "Mad World," and "Change," and the hugely successful "Songs from the Big Chair" from 1984, which gave us legendary singles "Mother's Talk," "Head Over Heels," "Shout," and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World."

But it was their third album, released in late 1989, that really blew my mind. The absolutely extraordinary "The Seeds of Love" is truly one of my favorite albums of all time and is near the top of my list of Desert Island Discs. It features incredible songs like "Woman in Chains," "Badman's Song," "Advice for the Young at Heart," and the Beatles-influenced "Sowing the Seeds of Love."

Curt left the band in the early 90s, while Roland continued as Tears For Fears with the terrific and hugely underrated albums "Elemental," and "Raoul and the Kings of Spain," each loaded with outstanding tracks.

Curt returned in 2004, they released the incredible album "Everybody Loves a Happy Ending," took an 18-year break, and came back in 2022 with the extraordinary disc "The Tipping Point," for which they embarked on a hugely successful world tour that lasted almost two years and resulted in a new concert film that played in theaters last week.

I have seen Tears For Fears six times over the last 40 years, and the duo always fills the stage with a great band to recreate their catalog perfectly. Even when Curt was away, Roland gathered incredible musicians together and kept things going beautifully. My favorite lineup was during the 1990 "Seeds of Love" tour, which included vocalist Oleta Adams, who is one of the best singers on the planet.

Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith of Tears For Fears.

I saw them in 2023 on The Tipping Point Tour, and they were incredible, so when the new concert film Tears for Fears Live (A Tipping Point Film) was announced, I HAD to see it on the big screen... and man, am I glad that I did.

This film is a beautifully shot and extremely well-made document of the grand tour, during which they focused a lot on the latest album but also performed songs from their vast catalog of brilliant songs dating back to 1981.

The performance captured in the movie was recorded at the beautiful outdoor FirstBank Amphitheater in Franklin, Tennessee, on a warm summer night in 2023. This venue, a former quarry just outside of Nashville, is a perfect place to showcase the band, their special show, and the fantastic crowd of fans who all seemed to have a great time.

The film's setlist is strong and covers their whole career while also giving everyone a taste of songs from "The Tipping Point," which are just as good and vital as their older material. The new stuff sounds just as great as the old stuff, and Curt and Roland clearly love the new material as much as the older material.

The concert is outstanding, featuring awesome versions of the studio tracks and showcasing the incredible musicians and vocalists in the current lineup.

It was very special to see the film on the big screen (although it was disappointing that the crowd in the theater consisted of just me and five other people) with great stereo sound and some cool extras like the showing of 4 videos from their new EP "Songs for a Nervous Planet" that immediately followed the screening.

Tears For Fears new EP "Songs for a Nervous Planet."

The whole night was a real treat, and as one of Tears For Fear's biggest fans, this concert movie is an absolute must-see. The film is available as part of the extras that are included with the live album and the new EP. I highly recommend getting this package, listening to the great music, and watching the fantastic "Tears For Tears Live (A Tipping Point Movie)"

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The Psychedelic Furs, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Frankie Rose at The Salt Shed

The Psychedelic Furs are one of my favorite bands ever. I have been a fan since their debut album in late 1980.

Their reign as new-wave gods throughout the 80s was a wonderful thing to behold, and when the whole planet discovered them thanks to a John Hughes movie, they crossed over to mainstream success.

Formed in London by brothers Richard and Tim Butler in 1977, the Furs are known for their catchy but experimental songs and very hip image. They have always been a great live band, and that was never more true than this past Sunday night when they played The Salt Shed.

The Salt Shed is an indoor and outdoor music venue/entertainment hub in West Town, Chicago. Morton Salt previously owned the building before it sold the 4.25 acre site to R2 in 2018 as part of a redevelopment deal that included moving Morton Salt's R&D arm to the site. 

The facility initially housed thousands of pounds of salt for many years, and it still has the Morton's Salt logo, a little girl with an umbrella, painted on the roof. 

The outdoor section adjacent to the Chicago River and Goose Island, "The Fairgrounds," can accommodate 5,000 people. The indoor section, named "The Shed," holds a capacity of 3,600 people.

The Salt Shed is an outstanding venue to see a show, especially if you're in the Premium Section, which Julie and I had for the show.

Our tickets for the show, actual, physical tickets! Julie and I highly recommend the Premium Section.

The Furs are currently co-headlining the tour with another iconic new wave/post-punk group, The Jesus and Mary Chain, which also carved a pretty impressive niche in the world during the 1980s.

Frankie Rose, a terrific female artist based in Los Angeles, opened the show with an appropriately dark, goth-tinged set that sounded straight from the 1980s.

Frankie Rose performing a terrific, but dark, opening set.

She was barely lit on the stage and had a screen behind her, flashing crazy black-and-white images throughout her set. Overall, a strong performance from a talented trio of musicians that set the table for the terrific headliners that followed.

The Jesus and Mary Chain were next, and they did not disappoint. This terrific band, formed by brothers Jim and William Reid from Scotland, includes three other outstanding musicians.

Darker and moodier than The Furs, JAMC is one of the groups that started the "shoegaze" music movement. This movement was named after musicians who depressingly stare down at their shoes while performing instead of engaging with the audience.

JAMC was so committed to this style of music that I once saw them perform an entire show with their backs to the audience. Luckily, they didn't do that on Sunday night. They were, however, completely backlit (like Frankie Rose before them) and did most of the show in darkness... but at least they were facing the audience.

The Jesus and Mary Chain, sounding as good as they did in the 80s, backlit only...of course.

The band was tight and sounded terrific as they blasted through an outstanding set of classic cuts and their few popular singles. The brothers Reid (Jim on lead vocals and William on lead guitar) were in fine form, and Frankie Rose joined them on stage for two fantastic songs.

The Jesus and Mary Chain Setlist:

• Jamcod

• April Skies

• Head On

• Happy When It Rains

• All Things Pass

• Chemical Animal

• Some Candy Talking

• Cracking Up

• Far Gone and Out

• Venal Joy

• Blues From a Gun

• Sidewalking

• In a Hole

• Sometimes Always (with Frankie Rose)

• Nine Million Rainy Days

• Just Like Honey (with Frankie Rose)

• Reverence

The Furs took the stage next, and for the first time during the evening, the stage was utterly lit, not just from the back, and no one was gazing at their shoes.

The Psychedelic Furs blast onto the fully lit stage for an incredible set.

The band, which the Butler brothers have toured with for many years now, features Rich Good on guitar, Zack Alford on drums, and Amanda Kramer on keys, and it was sensational.

Richard Butler is one of the most unique vocalists in rock history, with a magical delivery and rhythm all his own. He is also a charismatic front man who entertains the audience with his body flourishes and dancing. He was also in a fabulous mood Sunday night, laughing and smiling between every song.

Richard Butler, one of the most charismatic front men in the history of rock.

The band had a great time delivering some of their best songs in a tight set. The songs of the night were "President Gas," "Heaven," "Love My Way," "Pretty in Pink," "Heartbreak Beat," and the magnificent "The Ghost in You," which my girlfriend Julie and I particularly love since it happens to be "our song."

Julie and I had a great time at this truly special concert...especially when The Furs played our song, "The Ghost in You."

I was surprised that the late saxophonist Mars Williams, who provided many memorable riffs and solos with The Furs over the years, was not mentioned. Williams passed away in late 2023, and I was hoping for a mention or a small tribute, especially since he was from Chicago.

But, that quibble aside, The Furs were outstanding and sounded as good as they ever have (and I've seen them live many, many times over the past 40 years). They remain one of the best live acts in the music world and a truly special band that reminds me of a period in my life that I really treasured.

The Psychedelic Furs Set List:

• The Boy That Invented Rock & Roll

• So Run Down

• The Ghost in You

• All That Money Wants

• Only You and I

• Wrong Train

• Love My Way

• All of the Law

• President Gas

• Pretty in Pink

• Mr. Jones

• Pulse

• Heartbreak Beat

• Forever Now

• Heaven

It was an incredible night of music from two classic bands and a relatively unknown singer who made an outstanding first impression. I hope The Furs and The Jesus and Mary Chain continue to tour for years—they are that good!

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The Outlaw Music Festival Tour: A Review

The 2024 Outlaw Music Festival Tour has been rolling through the U.S. since June and has featured an incredible lineup of classic stars that include headliners Willie Nelson & Family and support acts Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Brittney Spencer, Celisse, and Southern Avenue.

This past Saturday night, the lineup at Credit Union 1 Amphitheater in Tinley Park, Illinois, was Nelson, Dylan, Mellencamp, and Southern Avenue, and my lady Julie and I were very excited to attend.

My lovely girlfriend Julie and I attending the Outlaw Music Festival this past weekend.

We arrived just as Southern Avenue was finishing their set, and judging by the very enthusiastic response from the crowd, they rocked the house.

We walked into the venue a little late mainly because we got turned around in the parking lot where they were charging $150 (yeah, you read that right….$150!).

We opted for the free parking near the back of the lot, which wasn’t far from the entrance. Hey, if you’ve got 150 bucks to waste, God bless.

We located our seats and decided to walk around a bit to take in the atmosphere and do some people-watching.

As you would expect, the crowd skewed much older than your usual music festival crowd (much, MUCH older), and because it was a show headlined by Nelson, the overwhelming aroma of pot filled the air all over the outdoor venue. People were very old, very high, and very drunk.

The bathroom lines, even the men’s, were the longest I have seen in years. Speaking as a man who is pushing 60, this shouldn’t have surprised me, considering the average age in the crowd was about 50, and the average prostate size was about 47 lbs.

The endless Men's Room line at the concert, filled with primarily middle-aged guys needing to tinkle.

JOHN MELLENCAMP

John Mellencamp is one of the most gifted American singer/songwriters ever. He has written and performed several classic songs that have become legendary. He is a terrific live performer and always surrounds himself with remarkable musicians.

Mellencamp, 71, is also known for being a bit volatile and grumpy. If he’s particularly pissy, the concert might end at any moment.

John Mellencamp's stellar setlist from the show.

Luckily, John was only kinda grumpy and wasn’t miffed enough to stop the set altogether. However, he did get amusingly annoyed when the crowd skipped the second verse of “Jack and Diane” and went straight to the chorus. Mellencamp took a second to school the crowd on when to jump in.

Mellencamp’s set was great, even though he and his band were never truly able to overcome the crappy and muffled sound mix provided by Credit Union 1 Amphitheater, a place known for its shitty sound.

Despite the sound issues, Mellencamp played all the hits, got the crowd dancing, filled the place with terrific energy, and paved the way for the next act.

BOB DYLAN

All the energy from Mellencamp pretty much dissipated as Dylan took the stage with his very talented five-piece band.

They played a choppy, low-energy set consisting of some covers, a few oddball choices, and wildly rearranged versions of classics that prevented the frustrated crowd from interacting.

Dylan's sometimes weird, sometimes great setlist.

So, yeah…. Dylan.

I will say this: Dylan had more energy and vocal power on the stage Saturday night than in the last four or five times I’ve seen him. And, shockingly, he seemed to be having a great time.

He stayed behind the piano during the entire set (teasingly, there was an acoustic guitar and a microphone-on-a-stand downstage center, but it was never used). Between songs, he stood up, spun around, flipped his sheet music pages, and sat again.

So, yeah…. Dylan.

Yes, the set was an energy letdown after Mellencamp (who should have played his set right before Willie’s), but I still enjoyed the hell out of it.

Mr. Zimmerman is a frigging living legend who has always been uncomfortable in front of crowds and will do whatever the hell he wants, which is fine with me because he’s Bob F’in Dylan, and he’s 83 years old.

WILLIE NELSON & FAMILY

By the time Willie and his terrific band took the stage for a virtually unplugged set, it was well past the bedtime of many people in the audience and on the stage.

Here’s the deal, Willie Nelson is 91 years old.

Let me write that again: WILLIE NELSON IS 91 YEARS OLD.

The man is an absolute marvel to behold. He walked out, sat down center stage with a beautifully worn acoustic guitar, and sang his heart out for well over an hour.

The set consisted of 22 terrific songs (10 more than Mellencamp, 8 more than Dylan) that were thoughtfully chosen and performed beautifully. Willie was great, and he never wavered. When he coughed during a song, he insisted that the band start the verse again and not just move on.

Class act. And did I mention he is 91 years old?!?!?

Watching Willie Nelson perform for a vast crowd who loved every single second of the show was a joy to behold, and it was the best Willie show I have seen in years. When he finally walked off the stage, just before 11pm on what had become a chilly night, the feeling of appreciation and admiration from the audience was palpable.

So, yeah, the crowd was ancient, the pot (and cigarette!) smoke was thick in the air, there were more walkers and wheelchairs than you could shake a stick at, and it took forever to walk back to the car.

Still, we didn’t pay $150 to park, we saw a great show, and I only had to endure a ten-minute drive to get to a bathroom…. Yeah, I’m pushing 60, which means I was the target audience. And I had a great time.

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