Culture Club performed great music as expected!
Culture Club’s performance was nothing short of brilliant. All of the band members displayed immense jubilation in being able to go on tour again and play songs that are near and dear to their hearts. They were accompanied by a full band, including an additional drummer, a trumpeter, saxophonist and wonderfully talented and soulful back-up singers. Despite all of them being in their mid-50s, they performed with the same sprightliness and exuberance of those in their 20s.
The expressions of each and every one of the members of Culture Club was one of extreme elation and joy. Their smiles were infectious, and they demonstrated how excited they were to be back on stage. Even when there were minor stage complications, Boy George and the rest of the members didn’t become distraught but improvised right on the spot. The additional members playing with Culture Club served as splendid adjuncts to the already delightful instrumentation and Boy George’s superb vocals.
The energy in the room was outstanding; everyone was so overjoyed to be reliving their cherished memories of the past with songs like “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” Boy George’s tribute to all the men who he had dated up to that point in his life. Upon finishing each song, the audience erupted into applause, unable to restrain cheers and whistles for the group.
Despite being a band that thrived during the 1980s, there were lots of younger adults also there in addition to the predominantly older crowd. While the vast majority of attendees were individuals who grew up during the 1980s, able to relive their past with friends and loved ones, I spoke with Victoria Hall, a 22-year old Montclair native and huge Culture Club fan. “I watch(ed) a lot of VH1 classic music videos, and I was very into 80s fashion,” said Hall. “When Karma Chameleon came on, and I saw Boy George’s sense of style I fell in love.”
Over the years, Boy George has remained a pop icon. He also is an icon for the entire LGBT community, inspiring all to remain true to who they are and express themselves however their heart is telling them to. For Boy George, his form of self-expression has always manifested itself in his illustrious sense of fashion, which was in full force for Tuesday’s show. Additionally, Hall commented on the nature of 80s music, stating that the lyrical content is much more “innocent” and “focuses a lot on love rather than sex,” which was especially alluring to her considering the nature of modern day pop music: dominated by talk of sex, or the glorification of drug and alcohol usage.
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