The Cure @ Austin Music Hall

Mr.Wizard

Mr.Wizard

1,000+ Posts
Amazing show, smallest venue of the tour.

I like their songs, but was never a Cure fanatic like some of my friends.

The Music Hall upgraded their sound system and installed some panels to fight bounce back from the side and back walls.

The sound was fantastic, crystal clear and an amazing light show.

"Pictures of You" was the highlight for me, it was perfect.

Some of the middle-aged men in the crowd with teased black hair and eyeliner were funny. They looked like the South Park Robert Smith.

Great musicians and great songs, had a very good time.
 
Ditto. I enjoyed the show a lot more than I expected I would. Their hits were predictably fantastic, but their more obscure tunes were great, too.

It was especially weird without keyboards . . .

And that place was PACKED.
 
Are y'all serious?

I was so looking forward to this show. I've listened to The Cure since high school, so couldn't believe I'd have a chance to see them live so much later.

My wife and I joked on the way "what if they just play stuff from their new album?" We decided that there was no way they would do that.

Well....1-1/5 hours into the show, they'd played about 12-15 songs. 5-6 songs off the new album, 5-6 obscure songs and 2 hits. WTF?!

Seriously, I love The Cure, but they aren't a modern band. Don't go on tour dressed like you are still in 1991 and refuse to play the music that everyone came to hear. Hey Robert, I hate to break it to you, but you aren't U-2. It's not like you have a new album every couple years with big hits on it.

If Led Zepplin reunited and they just played songs off a forth-coming album, I'd be pissed.

I'm cool with them wanted to play some new stuff. But, for this type of show, I think it would be at least 75% hits and 25% new/obscure stuff.

Maybe the most disappointing show I've ever seen.

Oh - and they WAY over-sold the venue. I have no idea how that place could have passed fire code. Absolutely packed to the gills - which wouldn't have bothered me if I was seeing The Cure instead of some band that looked like The Cure but played other songs..
 
converse, it's as if you saw a different show. I'm not a huge fan of The Cure -- I own a couple of albums, and I think Smith is a great songwriter -- but they were never my "band of choice". Still, I think I knew 2/3 of the songs they played last night.

"Fascination Street"
"Boys Don't Cry"
"Inbetween Days"
"Just Like Heaven"
"Love Song"
"Hanging Garden"

come to mind, and probably a half dozen more. I thought it was an EXTREMELY well-done show, from every perspective. Sound, lighting, set list, pace, you name it. Sorry you were disappointed!
 
I liked the song selection and thought it was very tight. For some reason I thought they would truck in a lot of the music via synths, but it was a straight up guitar show.

It was packed, but I had not problem getting close on the floor and then went up to the balcony for the 2nd half and had a great view.

I really enjoyed myself, sorry you were disappointed.
 
Yeah, Converse must have been at the alternate universe Cure show because this was the set list:

open, fascination street, alt.end, torture, the end of the world, lovesong, the big hand, pictures of you, lullaby, catch, the perfect boy, from the edge of the deep green sea, the figurehead, a strange day, sleep when i'm dead, push, doing the unstuck, inbetween days, just like heaven, primary, the only one, signal to noise, the hanging garden, one hundred years, end,
e1: at night, m, play for today, a forest,
e2: three imaginary boys, fire in cairo, boys don't cry, jumping someone else's train, grinding halt, 10:15 saturday night, killing an arab

By my count, they didn't play a new song until the 13th song of the set. I saw the Dallas show on Friday, and it was extraordinary. This was our set list:

underneath the stars, prayers for rain, a night like this, the walk, the end of the world, lovesong, to wish impossible things, pictures of you, lullaby, fascination street, the perfect boy, from the edge of the deep green sea, sleep when i'm dead, push, friday i'm in love, inbetween days, just like heaven, primary, shake dog shake, never enough, the only one, wrong number, the baby screams, one hundred years, baby rag dog book,
E1: three imaginary boys, fire in cairo, boys don't cry, jumping someone else's train, grinding halt, 10:15 saturday night, killing an arab,
E2: the lovecats, let's go to bed, freakshow, close to me, why can't i be you?,
E3: a forest

Looks like we did get a few more classics than Austin, but I bet that's because the Austin venue was more intimate. It was 180 degress from the show I saw on the "Bloodflowers" tour-- that night, they played the whole new record and maybe 5 old songs. It was still good, but this tour is like a Cure celebration.

Also, I LOVED the fact that they had a stripped-down lineup with no keyboards. Porl Thompson was amazing on guitar-- who thought they could pull off "Lovecats" without keys? But they did, and it was great!
 
Was there an opening act? What time did the show start vs the reported start time? I am wondering because I am going tonight in Houston. I also have a young child that i have to get care for so i want to kinda get an idea what time Cure comes on stage, etc.
 
I saw them here like 4 months ago - they played for 3 hours and 3 encores.

The first band I've seen that did an encore as like an encore in forever.

Awesome
 
I thought they sounded solid; I wasn't optimistic after hearing all the bad reviews of the acoustics in that place; and yeah, it had to have been designed by aggy. The placement of the restrooms, rediculous..hot as **** too.

They played some songs that were older than some of the people I saw at the show. good times.
 
I am too old. I was unable to really get into the swing because the place was so ******* packed (my girlfriend, who is 5', saw nothing). Moreover, the tempo was the same for the entire show. No contour whatever. They played well and it sounded good (they brought their own sound), and Smith can still sing. Song selection was just too monotonous for me. Plus, I have to admit that I can't really enjoy a single band for three hours. After two I was numb and we adjourned. No regrets, really, but I will have to think long and hard before going to see another show at the Hall.
 
Damn, that playlist that was put up is amazing. I wish I would not have missed it now. Both encores are awesome! Very solid. The first is from an era of the Cure that most that claim to be fans of them don't partake in as they were still under the radar. The even more dark and gloomy Cure days than usual. Fantastic encores, ****.

Maybe Converse is not as big a fan as he thought to not know the songs that were played off of earlier albums than Standing on a Beach or after?
 
To be fair, I think what he refers to as obscure songs may just be obscure to him or more casual fans. There is nothing wrong with that. But songs like A Forest, Primary and things off of albums like Faith and Seventeen Seconds are more The Cure than Why Can't I Be You, etc... All great songs and I love them all but the former are hardly obscure. Just because they were not on the radio does not make them obscure.
 
Ha.

I wilted before they played the stuff I really wanted to hear. If they had started with A Forest and the second Encore I would have left after 35 minutes.

Nothing from the Top. That's why I started to get fidgety.
 
Great show. Classic Cure and they delivered. I am glad to have had my wife finally see what all the fuss is about - she loved it. Glad we were there for what might be their last.

Con: I really wish it would have been reserved seating, GA for this show in that venue SUCKED. That place was PACKED. We were able to slide front and right for the last encore set and it was great.

bow.gif
 
Alright, alright. Maybe y'all are right and what I consider to be obscure isn't obscure to a true fan. I've listened to The Cure since the late 80's, but I'm sure there are plenty of songs I don't know. I guess they focused more on those.

I'm glad everyone else liked the show. I have no problem being the only one (aside from my 5'3" wife who couldn't see a thing) who was disappointed.

Now....that said, I TOTALLY agree that he can still sing. The singing was really great.
 
you weren't alone converse. i had a very musically inclined friend say that the concert was eh until halfway then it got pretty good. however, she commented that the music hall acoustics were pretty ******. maybe it was the crowd but she said it was just not a very good venue. i should have asked if it was as crappy as the backyard but i doubt anything can be that bad...

but put me in the group that loves the cure and thought the lineup on here from last night was pretty good...
 
I thought the sound last night was fantastic. Nice stereo separation and just enough reverb. A lot of that has to do with were you were sitting or standing. I was on the floor dead center about 15 feet in front of the board.

And as far as the Backyard is concerned, you get the right sound man running the board and that venue shines.
 
not sure where she was in the audience, maybe it was the sound + the crowd, but she said the venue/sound couldnt handle the crowd. but i wasnt there so i got no clue. but i'd be willing to suffer a bit to watch the cure.

as for the backyard, its not the sound that sucks, its the venue itself. parking, an hour to get to a show, 3 hours to leave a 2 hour show..ugh, the place just sucks.
 
I don't mind The Backyard too much. Seen several good shows there, including Beck and Lyle Lovett.

I really only have 3 complaints about the place. 1) Takes forever to get out after the show, 2) always nervous that my little car is going to get stuck in the mud in that grass field, and 3) something about the design of the place prevents there from being any sort of breeze. The place is just sweltering on a summer night.
 
the crowd/beer lines sucked but I've heard MUCH shittier shows at the hall. I was pleasantly surprised that they sounded as well as they did.
 
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