Top five live shows of 2019

The Damned and X

Two bands that have been around for more than 40 years, the Damned and X, proved that they're still going strong at their show at Chicago's House of Blues in May. X, with its lineup of four original members, played several of its best-known songs while sounding great and having fun. The Damned's Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible, the two original members of the band, were joined by bassist Paul Gray to play the masterpiece album "Machine Gun Etiquette" in its entirety. The band ventured on to a second set of well-known songs and rarities, playing 22 tracks and two encores in all. It's rare to see not one, but two, bands that have been around for more than 40 years. To see two such bands that appear to still be having a blast doing it, well, that's pretty amazing.
Read more: The Damned and X show their punk rock staying power

Photos by Christopher Windle.

The Faint with Closeness

The Faint returned to its hometown of Omaha for a packed show at the Waiting Room in May. Closeness (pictured), Faint frontman Todd Fink's group with his wife, Orenda Fink, warmed up the audience. The Faint later stormed onstage, playing songs from new album "Egowerk" as well as the best of its back catalog of six other studio albums. The show was an intense, high-energy thrill ride, and the audience didn't want it to end.
Read more: The Faint displays the best of Omaha

The Psychedelic Furs

The Psychedelic Furs' touring machine roared into the Truman in Kansas City in May, and it was clear that the band was there to show the crowd a good time. Though the Furs got a bit political with "President Gas," the show was mainly a time to party. Like the best first wave '80s artists, the Furs offer music that fans can escape to. And the world could use an escape right now. So the Furs delivered, playing hits like "Heaven" and "Pretty in Pink." The band has since added new music to its live show and has a long-awaited new album on the way in 2020.
Read more: The Psychedelic Furs at the Truman

Clan of Xymox

The U.S. government shutdown early this year had effects that reverberated through all walks of life, including the goth/darkwave community, when Clan of Xymox was forced to postpone its U.S. tour because of delays in processing the band's visas. But the tour dates set for this past spring finally happened, with the U.S. stint by the Germany-based band beginning in Denver and hitting Omaha in November. The band proved that its delayed U.S. tour was well worth the wait. Bolstered by opening band the Bellwether Syndicate, Clan of Xymox had the crowd dancing, singing along, and even laughing to frontman Ronny Moorings' droll insights.
Read more: Clan of Xymox, at last, brings show back to U.S.

L7

The all-female grunge band brought its powerful live show to Omaha in June. The crowd at the Slowdown was treated to a 21-song set of hits and fan favorites from the band's longest-standing lineup of Suzi Gardner, Donita Sparks, Dee Plakas, and Jennifer Finch. Gardner, Sparks, and Finch took turns singing lead, performing songs like "Andres," "Dispatch from Mar-a-Lago," "Shitlist," and "Pretend We're Dead."

Honorable mentions: T.S.O.L., Interpol, the Descendents, Wilco.

Duran Duran's top moments of 2019

Duranlive

Duran Duran kicked off its 2019 tour dates in Miami, performing gems like "The Seventh Stranger" (for the first time since 1984),  "New Religion," and "Friends of Mine." The band would go on to play two dates for Kaaboo, in the Cayman Islands and San Diego, and traveled to Iceland, among other touring highlights.

Record Store Day

Duran gave a nod to its past with a double-album release for April's Record Store Day with "As the Lights Go Down." Thirty-five years after the band's shows in Oakland, California, for the Sing Blue Silver tour were recorded for posterity, fans lined up again to get a limited-edition copy of the performance on candy-colored vinyl. "As the Lights Go Down" was originally used as the name of the edited version of the concert film "Arena" that aired on Cinemax back in the day.

NASA concert

Over the summer, Duran played a show for the anniversary of the Apollo mission. The band fittingly went with a space theme, playing "Planet Earth" and "Space Oddity" from its standard setlist, but also dusting off lesser-played tracks like "Astronaut." Duran also tried its hand at a space-themed cover song, "Walking on the Moon" by the Police. It was a magical night for the band and its fans that began with another surprise: the band taking the stage as drones put on a light show overhead, opening with "The Universe Alone."

A night inducting Roxy

In March, John Taylor and Simon Le Bon had the honor of inducting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Roxy Music, perhaps the band on planet Earth that has influenced Duran Duran most. In their induction speech, Simon described Roxy's music as "a shock to the system. ... The musicians themselves were dressed outrageously, each one with an individual, well-defined look."

"Put it all together, and what you got was pulp science fiction."

John continued by saying that Roxy made him realize "what I wanted to be. I knew my destiny. ... I am always proud to say that without Roxy Music, there would be no Duran Duran."

DD15

Signs point to the band's 15th studio album surfacing next year, perhaps in late spring or early summer. The band spent time in the recording studio in 2019 with super producer Mark Ronson and two likely guest musicians, Blur's Graham Coxon and singer Lykke Li. The band has announced two tour dates in June: a headlining spot at the Isle of Wight festival and a show at St. Anne's Park, "in support of the release of their next studio album." Although details have been scant of late, it does look likely that Duran will be releasing new material in the next six months or so, fingers crossed.

Photo by Christopher Windle