Original image of Culture Club by There Stands the Glass.
I can’t resist a bargain. Two hours before showtime, I bought a $20 ticket ($27.15 after junk fees) to hear a trio of one-time MTV staples at Starlight Theatre on Tuesday, August 8. Approximately 6,000 people attended the nostalgic concert.
Berlin won the night. The group has largely abandoned the dated synth-pop production of its hits for a sturdier rock orientation. A cover of the Cult’s “She Sells Sanctuary” and a giddy reading of “Sex (I’m a)”- a song I hadn’t heard in 40 years- were especially pleasing.
The music of Howard Jones invariably reminds me of the slogan of a Christian radio network: “positive, encouraging.” He’s perfected an enlightened form of disposable pop. The presence of sideman Nick Beggs necessitated a fun interpretation of the 1983 Kajagoogoo hit “Too Shy.”
Having always been indifferent to the group, I hadn’t previously caught Culture Club live. A lilting take on Ken Boothe’s version of “Everything I Own” allowed me to finally make sense of the band’s winning formula.
Culture Club is simply a lite-reggae outfit with a charismatic vocalist. Having ascertained the veracity of the minor revelation, I left the iconic venue 50 minutes into the headliner’s performance feeling I’d received more than my money’s worth.