The Psychedelic Furs at the Surf Ballroom

The Psychedelic Furs made a rare stop in Iowa, bringing the band's classic alternative sound to an iconic venue, the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake.

The Surf is known as the last stop before "the day the music died," when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper perished in a plane crash nearby after playing their final concert at the venue. The Surf tastefully pays tribute to the trio, as well as to the many, many musicians who have played the venue over the years.

Tim and Richard Butler. Rich Good and Richard Butler (at top).

The Furs joined those acts on Aug. 8 with a solid, 18-song setlist that spanned the band's career. Though there's not yet new music from the Furs, the band manages to make each tour special, swapping out and shifting deeper album tracks around and still playing all of the hits that the crowd expects.

Case in point, when we last saw the Furs, the band opened with "India," not quite harnessing all of the song's energy to full effect. Nearly two years later, the Furs closed the show with the blistering track off its debut album. It turned out to be the perfect song to follow the band's defining track, "Pretty in Pink."

Rich Good and Richard Butler (at top).

At the Surf, the band opened with the "Mirror Moves" hit "Heartbeat" and followed with the must-hear "Sister Europe." "She is Mine" and "Only You and I" were welcome additions to the setlist, the latter giving guitarist Rich Good a chance to let loose. The band members are always entertaining, with singer Richard Butler's trademark moves, bassist Tim Butler's interplay with the audience, and saxophonist Mars Williams' boundless energy.

There are many, many reasons the band attracts a crowd: the shimmering beauty of "The Ghost in You," "Heartbreak Beat," which always prompts a sing-along, and the ever-relevant "President Gas," to name a few. We'll be back. A Furs concert is where we met, after all.

Nearly five years later, we see a lot of concerts, but we can always count on the Furs to put on a great show.

All photos by Christopher Windle.