The Farr Side: Magical trip from Culture Club
Don’t let anyone tell you that time machines aren’t real. Music is powerful and has the ability to transcend time. And, the right band can take you anywhere you want to go. You know I’m right, too.
On Aug. 20, Boy George and Culture Club did just that. The iconic 1980s band took the audience at Silver Creek Event Center at Four Winds Casino on a magical trip to and from the decade of excess.
It was amazing! The nine-member bandincludes original members Roy Hay and Mikey Craig.
It had been a challenging few weeks for my friend Kristie and me. We’ve been friends and concert buddies since I don’t know when. We were already in the car and ready to get our ‘80s on when the concert was announced. It’s not often you have the opportunity to see Culture Club, let alone at a casino.
Aanticipation escalated the moment the lights dimmed. A montage of flashy imagery and past video clips of Boy Georgeand of Culture Club played before the band emerged. Energetic and pumped, the band opened with the awesome new track “The Next Thing Will Be Amazing.” Boy George appeared atop a staircase, prompting the crowd already on its feet to roar in excitement of the pop culture icon.
It can be a risky move for a band to play a new track for its opener, but this song rocked and was well-received. The fun, upbeat song prepared the sold-out crowd for a night of fun, memories and good times.
Seeing Boy George in person was like a dream come true. When you think of the '80s and all the singers who made the decade so prolific, Boy George is right up there with Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, Duran Duran and George Michael, among others.
“It’s A Miracle,” “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya” and “Move Away” followed. Nostalgia took over. It was so much fun to see people from all walks of life, up dancing and singing. This is what I mean when I say music is powerful. For nearly 90 minutes, no one was worried about gas prices, inflation, their job or any other problems.
I was impressed with Boy George’s personable side. He is such a likable guy. Between songs, he opened up about his musical influences, his life, the music and the world around us.
Some newer tracks fared quite well during the show, to which Boy George said, “You can hear one of our new songs for the first time and know it’s a Culture Club song.” He was so right. As I looked around, you would have thought they were among the songs that dominated the charts in the early- to mid-'80s.
The reggae-infused “Hold Back” was fun, as was “Eyeliner Voodoo” and the thumping “Planetary Karma.” Boy George also threw in his cover of the Bread classic “Everything I Own.”
The night’s highlights were many, but one of the standout moments came with “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” the song that started everything for the London-based band in 1981. Boy George told the audience that, at the time, he felt the song was too personal and that no one would buy it.
“A 150 million albums later, I guess I was wrong,” he said.
He performed the song a capella before being joined by piano, acoustic guitar, sax and exquisite backing vocals. It was ethereal and moving. The only thing that could have possibly made that moment any better was if he would have segued into “The Crying Game.” Unfortunately, that song did not make the set list.
“Church Of The Poison Mind” drew amazing response from the audience. The song was done in medley with a cover of Wham’s “Freedom.”
The 16-song set also included such gems as “Time (Clock Of The Heart),” “Miss Me Blind” and “The War Song,” but there was no way they were getting out of New Buffalo without performing their biggest hit. The band returned in encore to perform “Karma Chameleon.” It was mind-blowing just how awesome the moment was for us. To top it off, the group launched into the T-Rex/The Power Station’s “Bang a Gong (Get It On).” Mic drop!
David T. Farr is a Journal correspondent. Email him at farrboy@hotmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Culture Club took the audience on a magical trip
