Crowded House prove they haven’t lost the magic with brilliant show at The Astro

Crowded House showcased their familiar hits and familial ties at The Astro amphitheater in La Vista on Friday, providing the ideal soundtrack to a beautiful late-summer evening.

The Australian-New Zealand band, led by the ever-talented Neil Finn, also features fellow original member Nick Seymour on bass, longtime collaborator Mitchell Froom on keyboards, and Finn’s sons, Liam and Elroy, on guitar and drums, respectively—though, like their father, the two really are multi-instrumentalists. 

As the opening act, Liam Finn showed off his own talents, playing drums and guitars and singing, too. Neil Finn’s move of putting his boys in the band was a smart one, as Liam’s voice is especially similar to his dad’s and complements it quite well. Both sons also sang lead during Crowded House’s set, giving Finn a chance to rest his voice a bit.

The band, now approaching their 40th anniversary, are still in top form, as evidenced on their latest album, Gravity Stairs. They played five of that album’s 11 songs, including the wistful “Teenage Summer” and the joyful “Oh Hi.” The new songs fit seamlessly among the band’s scores of ’80s and ’90s hits.

To open the concert, they went back to the start, playing “Recurring Dream” followed by “World Where You Live,” from their classic self-titled debut. Mid-set, Finn switched from guitar to piano for a few songs, including “Message to My Girl,” one of two Split Enz covers played during the show. They followed that with “When You Come” and “Private Universe,” which featured an extended outro that added intensity to the already-stunning track. 

Elroy Finn moved out from behind the drum kit for “Thirsty,” another track off the new album, and touring percussionist Paul Taylor filled in on drums. Liam Finn also took a turn on lead vocals on “The Howl,” another new song, which was “the most played song in Omaha, Nebraska, tonight,” his father remarked. (He had played it to open the concert, too.)

The show then hit a high point—and it only built from there. Hearing Crowded House perform perhaps their finest song, “Distant Sun,” followed by their biggest hit, “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” can only be described as magical.

They closed the main set with two more hits, “Something So Strong” and “Weather With You,” prompting the crowd to sing along and then cheer for more. They opened the encore with another Split Enz cover, “I Got You,” which the audience members had voted to hear via a QR code. That was followed by “Nails in My Feet,” from the excellent Youth-produced ’90s album Together Alone. They ended the show on a low-key but no less exhilarating note with the ballad “Into Temptation,” which led into a brief version of “Better Be Home Soon.”

Crowded House—with their 23-track set list, witty and quirky between-song banter, and brilliant playing—put on a musical display that won’t soon be forgotten. Followed by a ride down the slides near the venue and a brief moonlit walk, the show made for a perfect evening.

Photos by Karen Duran Windle and Christopher Windle

Duran Duran Appreciation Day

For Duran Duran Appreciation Day, let’s take a look back at the band’s spring U.S. tour. Duran played select dates, including the Cruel World Festival in California and at venues including Steelhouse Omaha in Nebraska. Here are some additional photos from the Omaha concert and comments from Nick Rhodes about the small yet surprising show.

Rachael O’Connor strikes a pose. Above, John Taylor.
All photos by Karen Duran Windle

“I think the surprise for all of us on the whole trip was Omaha," Rhodes told “Katy’s Kafe.”

“We played a tiny little venue there and, honestly, as good as any small venue I think we’ve ever played. Just beautifully appointed. Incredible sound. They thought about everything, and wow, what an audience. I guess we hadn’t been there for a very long time, and it just all clicked together that night.”

  Rhodes and Simon Le Bon in a lighter moment.

“I think it’s true of any town … where they don’t get quite as much as everybody else,” the keyboardist continued. “Omaha, Nebraska, I guess they don’t always get everything. We certainly hadn’t been there in forever and ever. 

“I hope it’s not that long again. … 

That was really fun.”

Taylor plays the f***ing bass. 

Above, Le Bon and Anna Ross.

X go out in style during farewell tour stop in Omaha

X, longtime Los Angeles punk stalwarts, may be disbanding at the end of their current tour, but they’re far from slowing down. The band showed this and more during their concert at the Waiting Room in Omaha on Sunday night. 

X, with all four original members—vocalist Exene Cervenka, bassist and vocalist John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom, and drummer D.J. Bonebrake—played 22 songs, a feat that many much younger bands don’t even attempt. Through it all, the band put on a high-energy show, playing tracks from its forthcoming and final album, Smoke & Fiction, and kicking off the encore with a surprise.

Singer Jesse Ahern opened the show with his honest and earnest protest songs, connecting with the audience and even getting them to sing along at times. Then the crowd drew even closer to the stage for X, as they started the show with a trio of superb songs off Wild Gift, “Beyond and Back,” “In This House That I Call Home,” and “We’re Desperate,” before launching into the title track from their seminal debut album, Los Angeles.

X played four tracks from Smoke & Fiction, among them the title track and the aptly titled “Sweet Til the Bitter End,” which fit in seamlessly with their classic songs.

Doe, an everyman who has also dabbled in writing and acting (and could be considered a bit of a punk historian as well), introduced “The World’s a Mess: It’s My Kiss,” by saying that given the state of current events, the chorus had been stuck in his head. The song began the heart of the setlist, starting with “White Girl” and ending with “I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts,” which featured not only a sax solo by Zoom but also a turn on vibraphone by Bonebrake.

Photos by Christopher Windle 

The band played two more tracks from Los Angeles, “Your Phone’s Off the Hook, but You’re Not” and “Sugarlight,” and “Motel Room in My Bed” from Under the Big Black Sun, before closing out the main setlist with their cover of The Doors’ “Soul Kitchen” (also off Los Angeles).

For the encore, Doe returned to the stage with only Cervenka to do “something that we never do” during an X show. The pair performed the stunning “See How We Are,” which was even more powerful when stripped down to the duo’s vocal harmonies and guitar.

The rest of the band then took the stage to bring the show to an energetic conclusion with “Adult Books” from Wild Gift and “Water & Wine” off 2020’s Alphabetland.

After more than 45 years, it’s understandable that X want to leave recording and touring behind. But the Omaha show proved that the band will always be American treasures—and they’ll be missed.

Duran Duran puts on a true celebration for Steelhouse Omaha's anniversary—and Duranies alike

More than 35 years after Duran Duran last played Omaha (and over 13 years since my last general-admission Duran show), the band returned for an electrifying concert to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Steelhouse Omaha on May 17.

The show, from the atmospheric opening song “Night Boat” to the obligatory closer “Rio,” was indeed a celebration for everyone. This included the contingent of Duranies who had waited outside the venue through blazing sun and fierce wind for over 12 hours and the well-heeled Omahans who filled the balcony (which was closed to the public for a private party).

Though the private event was likely the reason that Duran had finally returned to the city, the public jumped at the chance to see the band in a small venue and filled the floor entirely. Around noon, we joined the queue outside, which included a couple of dozen fans, some who had lined up at 6 a.m. Before the doors opened at 7 p.m., the line had snaked around the building. 

Once the doors opened, just like in that famous scene from “Sing Blue Silver,” fans ran up to the stage, where they formed a barrier of sorts—the most pleasant spot to take in a Duran concert. The die-hards, having spent the major part of a day holding their places in the queue and sparking up conversations with each other, made sure that everyone’s area was secure near the stage. Until the band began playing, the crowd even parted to make a pathway for fans to come and go through the growing throng of concertgoers. (You could say it’s a union of sorts.)

Yet once the show started, it was only about Duran Duran. The band, fresh off headlining the Cruel World festival, chose to open again with “Night Boat,” reworked for last year’s Danse Macabre album. Then there were favorites like “The Wild Boys,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” and “Notorious,” which managed to get the people seated in the balcony onto their feet. 

But it was “Black Moonlight,” a single off the latest album, which started the heart of the show. Singer Simon Le Bon donned sunglasses as the occult-tinged video played on the screen above him. The band then launched into the classic track “Lonely in Your Nightmare” mixed with Rick James’ “Superfreak” (also from Danse Macabre). The Future Past single “Invisible” followed, reintroduced to the set list after young Metal Gear Solid fans gave the track new life on streaming services nearly three years after its official release. “Friends of Mine” and “Careless Memories,” perhaps Duran’s best live songs, closed out the exhilarating run.

Le Bon got serious for just a moment to dedicate “Ordinary World” to victims of war, whether Palestinians, Israelis, or Ukrainians. From there, the set list was mostly familiar territory for the average Duranie, filled with crowd-pleasers like “Planet Earth,” “White Lines,” and “The Reflex.” For me, it was a chance to admire John Taylor’s proficiency on bass and Nick Rhodes’ suit, black flecked with a yellow design—as stylish as ever. Duran added a too-short snippet of its disco-esque cover of “Psycho Killer” to “Girls on Film” to close out the main set list. By the time the band performed its now-standard encore of “Save a Prayer” and “Rio,” it was clear that the show had it all: Big hits for the casual fans and special moments for the Duranies (including a chant of “Roger! Roger! ... ” for Roger Taylor, the man behind the kit).

But what was most special: seeing and hearing my favorite band, once more close and clear—a real rarity for a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame act.

All photos by Karen Duran and Christopher Windle

Duran Duran's top moments of 2023

Duran Duran dansed into 2023 energized by the band’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame the previous year, connecting with old friends and its fans alike with live shows and a new album.

It all started with a promotional radio channel, the announcement of a North American tour with Chic and Bastille, and rumblings about a Halloween-themed project.

Future Past Radio

Duran added yet another accolade to its collection of honors with the debut of a radio channel dedicated solely to the band on Sirius XM. Duran Duran Future Past Radio started streaming on the Sirius app in May and was briefly part of the satellite station’s on-air lineup. The channel, meant to promote the Future Past U.S. tour, was extended into July after a campaign by Duranies to make it a permanent fixture.

DuranLive

In late August, Duran’s tour landed at Red Rocks Amphitheater outside Denver, which singer Simon Le Bon calls his favorite concert venue in the world. Monday’s show was fantastic and a true feat given the weather—rain followed by a drop in temperatures and fierce wind. Tuesday’s concert was very much a repeat performance, but the crowd didn’t seem to mind that the set list was the same. Read the review here.

‘Danse Macabre’

Two months later, there were plenty of surprises in store with the release of the album “Danse Macabre,” which arrived about two years after previous release “Future Past.” The band held listening parties across the U.S. for the album, which debuted at No. 4 in the the U.K. The new album features a confident-sounding band—one mature enough to invite both former guitarists back into the fold. The ambitious effort, featuring Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo, manages to make a collection of covers, reworkings of Duran classics, and new songs sound surprisingly cohesive. Read the review here. 

The Future

As another new year dawns, more new Duran releases loom, though it’s likely they’ll be from the vaults. Chief among them is “Reportage,” the lost Duran album shelved in favor of what became “Red Carpet Massacre.” Talk of finally releasing the band’s last full studio album with Taylor has been bandied about since he came back into the picture after Duran’s Rock Hall induction. A deluxe reissue of “The Wedding Album” and unreleased songs from the ’80s have also been mentioned. 

Amid the holiday season, Duran demos from 1980 surfaced online, suggesting that if the band doesn’t release the old music itself, there are always unofficial channels available.

At top, Duran wowed at Red Rocks in Denver 
on its Future Past U.S. tour.
Photo by Christopher Windle

Review: Duran Duran delivers a Halloween album for any season with 'Danse Macabre'

Duran Duran revisits some of the darker songs in its catalog, conjures up some inspiring covers of other artists’ work, and adds three tantalizing original tracks on “Danse Macabre” (Tape Modern/BMG).

Twenty-eight years have passed since the band’s first covers effort, the ill-fated “Thank You,” and much has changed. Duran has had a late-career renaissance: After its rise back to the charts with “The Wedding Album,” the band began a commercial dip with “Thank You,” reunited its Fab Five lineup, and has now had a return to prominence—culminating in its induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year. While “Thank You” had its moments (and was certified gold on the back of “The Wedding Album’s” success), the 1995 album was harshly panned by critics and is considered a mixed bag by fans. 

In 2023, Duran has mostly cast aside the conventional classic rock of “Thank You” (aside from The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black”) and avoided hip-hop this time around (unless one counts Simon Le Bon’s “spoken-word” vocal on the band’s own “Danse Macabre”). The album features a confident-sounding Duran Duran, a band capable of turning around a full studio effort in under a year and mature enough to invite both former guitarists back into the fold—while finding space for its current guitarist as well as past collaborators Nile Rodgers and Mr Hudson.

“Danse Macabre” is an ambitious effort that manages to make a collection of covers and new songs sound surprisingly cohesive. From the moody “Nightboat” and the majestic “Secret Oktober 31st” (two of 10 songs to feature original guitarist Andy Taylor) to the funky “Love Voudou” featuring “comeback-era” axeman Warren Cuccurullo, the band rightfully owns the reboots of its classic songs here. Duran also dips into a diverse mix of covers, taking on disco (Cerrone’s “Supernature”), goth/post-punk (Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Spellbound”), new wave (Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer”), and more. The latter song is delightful, featuring funky guitar from Taylor and Dom Brown, “Psycho”-esque keyboard stabs by Nick Rhodes, fantastic drumming by Roger Taylor, and dual bass from John Taylor and Måneskin’s Victoria De Angelis.

But the originals are the standout tracks, and perhaps as diverse as three different Duran songs can be. “Black Moonlight” is a would-be dance-floor smash featuring Rodgers and Taylor on guitar. “Danse Macabre”—aside from Le Bon’s dad-rap delivery—slaps musically, with Cuccurullo back on guitar (and additional guitar by John Taylor). And “Confession in the Afterlife” closes the album in that classic Duran fashion, harking back to Arcadia in its loveliness.

Much has been made of “Danse Macabre” being a Halloween album. But just as every day is Halloween for those of us who relish in the gothic side of life, “Danse Macabre” is a timeless effort for any season. It’s a joyful gift for Duranies that’s clearly made with love.

The Buttertones return to Omaha with classic tracks, new energy

The Buttertones are back, and the band made the Slowdown in Omaha one of the few stops on its latest run of U.S. shows on Friday night.

The band, which was nearly derailed by a slew of #MeToo allegations in 2020, has only two members from its previous incarnation left, but it still boasts all the songs that made the slick post-punk-influenced outfit what it was. After the sexual misconduct allegations set off a string of departures and cancellations for the group, singer Richard Araiza and drummer-turned-guitarist Modeste Cobián remain. 

Flash back to 2020: Araiza and Cobián, in a video that was widely viewed by fans at the time as a half-baked apology months after the fact, had pledged to return with new music, but not necessarily as the Buttertones. Yet here the band was, in town for the first time since 2018, playing to a larger crowd than at its previous two shows, perhaps combined (though the Friday night slot was likely a factor). And for most concertgoers, the band had barely missed a beat, despite the addition of only one newer song to its set list.

Shadow play: Araiza flanked by new members.
All photos by Christopher Windle

The new band members include talented bassist Karly Low, who ably and energetically replaced Sean Redman, the most problematic former member. Brandon Gold is the new drummer, and it took two musicians to replace multi-instrumentalist London Guzmán. (Carlos Sanchez is now on sax.) The other official new member, Mimi Pretend, was an aloof presence onstage (although I’ve been assured that the keyboardist and guitarist loves being onstage).

That the band replaced two male musicians with two women seems like it’s meant to be significant. Even Araiza stated during the show that “the gals keep us balanced, you know.”

But the songs are still there. Two of my favorite Buttertones tracks, “Brickhead” and “Darling, I Need Time But Don’t Really Know Why,” which I’d never had a chance to hear live before, were somewhat lacking. Still, the show was surprisingly good. 

The band opened with “Gravediggin’” and also played “Winks and Smiles,” “You and Your Knife,” and “Denial, You Win Again” before the concert really picked up steam. As the Buttertones launched into older tracks like “Rainbow Wine” and “Orpheus Under the Influence"” (with Araiza aptly singing, “I’m drunk”), the band had found its groove. A new song, “Nite Time Is My Time,” was followed by Btones classics like “A Tear for Rosie,” “Connie,” and “Baby Doll.”

“Bebop,” perhaps the biggest bop off the Buttertone’s last album, “Jazzhound,” got the audience fired up. And the energy didn’t come down as the band tore through “Baby C4,” “Two-Headed Shark,” and “Matador.” By the time the band played “Sadie’s a Sadist,” there was a pit churning. An encore of “Bad Girl” and “Dak’s Back” (spoiler: he’s still not) was just what the crowd was looking for.

Is is OK to love the Buttertones again? That’s a question that listeners must decide for themselves. But for Omaha concertgoers, whether they were unfazed by or just unaware of the past, the answer was a resounding “yes.”