Duran Duran live in St. Paul and Kansas City

The Midwest got a double dose of Duran Duran over the July 23-24 weekend as the "Paper Gods" tour visited St. Paul and Kansas City.

During the first leg of the U.S. summer tour, fans reported that Simon Le Bon’s voice was sounding rough. Now, Simon was singing better, but Nick Rhodes soon disappeared from the tour as he dealt with a family emergency back in England.

It was strange seeing Duran without Nick for the first time … ever. MNDR, who has worked with the band as well as Mark Ronson, was filling Nick's formidable shoes.

(All photos by Christopher Windle)

Chic, having joined Duran first for the “Paper Gods” promotional dates, once again provided a proper opening act. In St. Paul, Chic graced the stage for an hour and a half, playing all of the band’s hits and covers by the likes of Sister Sledge, Madonna, and David Bowie that band leader Nile Rodgers helped craft.

When Duran last played the Xcel Energy Center in 2005, the audience was much more subdued. In 2016, singer Brian Setzer joined a crowd of about 10,000 fans that was clearly ready to party. “Wild Boys,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” and “A View to a Kill” got the audience riled up.

Set opener "Paper Gods" and a sublime "What Are the Chances?" allowed the band a couple of slower moments to energize themselves for the hit-laden show. Simon's voice, which was raspy at times, became stronger as the concert progressed.

Backing singer Anna Ross ably shared the front of the stage with Simon on “Come Undone,” and new singer Erin Stevenson had her time in the spotlight for “Last Night in the City.”

Nile joined the band for “Notorious” and “Pressure Off,” though Simon’s teasing of “The Reflex,” complete with Roger Taylor’s drum beat, elicited even bigger cheers. During the performance of the first single off “Paper Gods,” cannons spewed enough confetti for fans to keep throwing piles into the air throughout the rest of the show.

The absolute highlights of the St. Paul show were the tributes. “Planet Earth” segued beautifully into Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” giving guitarist Dom Brown a chance to shine. The guitar and bass seemed louder than usual throughout the concert.

Then there were the staples, like “Ordinary World” and “White Lines,” the latter having worn out its welcome just a bit. When there are so many hits that Duran has that fell outside the top 10 yet don’t make the set list, it feels odd that the band still keeps a spot in the show for a cover song.

But "I Don’t Want Your Love” was a welcome change of pace, as was “(Reach up for the) Sunrise,” freshened with a snippet of “New Moon on Monday.” And the crowd got “The Reflex” they wanted, as well as “Girls on Film.” 

Simon waited until late in the show to explain Nick's absence, introducing MNDR as the redhead who was standing in for Duran's blonde keyboardist. She seemed happy to stay in the background even though she was playing an integral part in Duran’s show.

For the encore, Duran brought back its tribute to Prince in the form of “Save a Prayer,” with a shoutout at the end to “Little Red Corvette.” At Simon’s urging, the audience lit up their cellphones in honor of their hometown hero. And, of course, “Rio” closed the show in style. Beach balls added to the summertime party atmosphere.

Although the band is performing a static set list of late, there are small differences to be appreciated from show to show. In the northern Midwest, which Simon referred to as “St. Paul-Minneapolis,” Duran played an indoor venue on a rainy day. The next day, the band was in Kansas City, performing outdoors at the Starlight Theatre, which John Taylor said Duran first played in 1982.

Chic warmed up the crowd, though they certainly didn’t need it on such a sweltering day. After Duran took the stage, Simon related a band conversation from earlier in the day, in which there was confusion about Kansas City’s claim to fame. A cab driver set the band members straight, telling them that “The Wizard of Oz” actually was set in Kansas, not Missouri.

Still, Simon continued with “The Wizard of Oz” theme, introducing a song for the (one-track) mind (“Come Undone”), heart (“I Don’t Want Your Love”), and courage (“The Reflex,” for longtime fans who were urged to sing along).

In Kansas City, Duran dedicated "Save a Prayer" to victims of violence worldwide, whether in Paris, Iraq, or the U.S., where shootings involving the police and black men have increased this year.

Notably, a crowd of 7,000 danced to songs performed by one of the most diverse groups of musicians on tour at the moment. The presence of Nile on stage with Duran, as well as Chic’s multiracial band and fellow opener Tokimonsta, demonstrate just how well good music can bridge cultural divides.

Eden Project...and more U.S. tour dates

Duran Duran recently played an enthralling live show marking BBC Music Day at Eden Project, and exactly one month from today, the band will be back on U.S. shores.

This leg of the Paper Gods tour is exciting for me because the band will be in the Midwest, and I'll finally have a chance to see a couple of concerts.

At the BBC show, Duran was in great form, but fans online are noticing a well-worn set list. And Simon Le Bon's voice is sounding a bit worn as well.

Duranies also are noticing that Le Bon's voice is at its best with rest. After a brief Italian tour and a show in Denmark, the band has about two and a half weeks off before the U.S. tour kicks off anew. After that, the schedule is relentless and includes a number of back-to-back dates, including shows in Minneapolis and Kansas City (they'll be reviewed here on the blog). Duran isn't slowing down, recently adding two more U.S. shows.

The crowd at Eden Project was a raucous one and readily filled in any gaps on vocals by singing along at top volume. It's spine-tingling to hear an audience sing along word for word loud enough to be heard on a live recording. The Cornwell crowd was in top form on all of the classics, closing numbers "Save a Prayer" and "Rio" in particular.

That brings things back to the set list, which has been mostly unchanged this year. A new set list seems unlikely, and I'm looking forward to the songs I haven't heard live in a while: "I Don't Want Your Love" and "New Moon on Monday." By all accounts, "Planet Earth"/"Space Oddity" is amazing, and I can't wait to witness it live.

There isn't a lot of wiggle room for new tracks to be added. The band is sure to play "Last Night in the City," which is rumored to be the next single after snippets of the video surfaced on the "Today" show. I wouldn't miss "White Lines" or "Danceophobia," which nevertheless makes a great intro for "Too iMuch Information."

The general audience at the U.S. shows will expect to hear the hits. "The Reflex" has been missing at recent shows, and there have been a few grumblings about not hearing it live. But it's not possible for Duran to play every hit...there are just too many of them!

Orgy and Filter at the Bourbon

Filter, with singer Richard Patrick in silhouette at left and bassist Ashley Dzerigian at right.
(iPhone photos by Christopher Windle)

Industrial-tinged metal was on display in Nebraska as Filter and Orgy played the Bourbon Theatre on May 14.

In the mid-1990s, Orgy came onto the scene as somewhat of a nu metal version of Duran Duran. The band members wore makeup and were MTV darlings, and their best known hit just happened to be a new wave cover song. The NME even likened Orgy to Duran Duran – "after being chewed on by giant robots." The band's crowning achievement remains the platinum album "Candyass," which it relied heavily upon for its opening set list.

Orgy performs, with singer Jay Gordon at right.

Orgy closed things out with "Candyass" singles "Stitches" and, of course, "Blue Monday." Orgy's version of the iconic New Order song replaced all of the original version's detachment with aggression. Remaking '80s classics was something other nu metal bands would try, mostly with less success.

Orgy was joined on stage by members of third-billed band Vampires Everywhere.

Like Filter's Richard Patrick, Jay Gordon is the only original member of his band left standing. He seemed to take a cue from Patrick, surrounding himself with energetic players, and putting on an amazing show in the process.

Filter opened with aggression but still managed a slow build to an even more combative finish. Patrick, dressed in a militaristic jacket and boots, began the set in silhouette behind a screen.

Patrick's targets for the night were mass shooters, purveyors of police brutality and Donald Trump. He teased "Welcome to the Fold" by singing the line "mama give me my medicine" repeatedly while images of the church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, flashed on the screen.

While 1999's "Title of Record" remains Filter's bestselling album, the group's catalog is surprisingly deep. Patrick's voice got stronger throughout the show, though his vocals have always been able to swing from mellow to screaming, even in the course of a single song.

Instead of an encore, Filter just ended the show with a string of hits, "Take a Picture," "Welcome to the Fold" and "Hey Man, Nice Shot" among them.

Prince and Duran Duran

It's hard to believe that Prince is no longer with us. He was only 57; a Duran contemporary.

I have listened to Prince since I first heard "Purple Rain" when I was 7 years old. I’m from Prince’s home state; it was just the natural thing to do. 

Over the years, I have been to many shows in Minneapolis clubs where Prince had a history: First Avenue, where scenes from the movie “Purple Rain” were filmed, and the former Glam Slam, which the artist once owned. In 2011, I saw Duran play the latter venue, which had been renamed Epic at the time.

Although I grew up on Prince’s ’80s music, I am partial to his early ’90s work. “Thieves in the Temple,” “Diamonds and Pearls,” and “7” are among my favorite songs.

It was also in the ’90s that Duran opened for Prince and covered his songs. Among the rearranged, unplugged versions of Duran classics the band performed at the time was “Notorious,” which included some of Prince’s “Sexy MF.” It's featured on Duran's "No Ordinary EP."


And in 2008, Duran and Mark Ronson performed Prince’s “Sign ‘O’ the Times” between “Notorious” and “I Don’t Want Your Love."
 

A post on Duran Duran's Facebook page soon after his death called Prince "an enormous talent that we were all big fans of."

And the band echoed the sentiment that many are now feeling: We were "devastated to hear the news about Prince."

The Cult live at the Hard Rock

Bands like The Cult are a rare commodity. The Cult, along with Duran Duran, rose in the '80s yet still is recording viable new music, still has its core members, and still plays a lot of live shows and sounds great. Though the music differs, the two British bands share a lot of the same fans and are both on tour this spring. The bands' paths will cross this summer when each will headline the Ottawa Bluesfest.

All photos by Christopher Windle.

The Cult, on tour to support its new album, made a stop at Anthem at Hard Rock Casino in Sioux City, Iowa, on March 22. "Hidden City" is The Cult's 10th studio album, and the band performed five songs off its latest effort.

The Cult kicked off the show with "Dark Energy" off "Hidden City," then really got the crowd going with "Rain," proving that the new songs fit in seamlessly with the band's older hits. When one audience member voiced his disagreement later in the show, singer Ian Astbury promptly chastised the heckler and launched into "Sweet Soul Sister," with the crowd singing along.

Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy are The Cult's longest-serving members and its songwriters. Astbury, along with Echo and the Bunnymen's Ian McCulloch and the late Michael Hutchence, is one of the few rock stars who can wear sunglasses throughout most of a show and look legitimately cool doing so. His voice sounded great despite the fact that he was feeling under the weather.

As is the usual practice, casino venues want bands to play shorter set lists to get concertgoers out early and back onto the casino floor. The Cult played its standard 16 songs, and bizarrely, Anthem brought the stage lights down and the venue lights on as the band played its encore. Thankfully, the venue corrected that so the band could close the show with "Love Removal Machine." The band didn't seem to notice, continuing on as only seasoned rock stars can.

... On film

As Duran Duran gets ready to go on tour in less than one month, fans are debating how and whether to take photos. While I have always been partial to actually watching the show, the visual focus of blogs means I'll be bringing a camera along.

Fans on the Duran Duran Message Board seem to agree that point-and-shoot cameras, and of course, cellphones are allowed in even at shows for which tickets say there is no photography allowed. Before the prevalence of smartphones, venues were pickier about allowing cameras. Having stood in a long line after a concert to collect my camera in the past, I would bring a disposable camera and hope for the best.

Simon Le Bon collected cash from the crowd during "Skin Trade" on the 2001 tour.
(Disposable camera photo by Karen Duran.)

When I had a camera with, I got a few good shots at Duran shows over the years. But I have always focused on the writing side of things, so I have detailed notes from concerts from which I have no photos.

Now, I still focus on the words, while my husband takes care of the pictures. We brought our Canon to shoot the Duran show at Red Rocks last year and will have it with us again at the shows this year.

Red Rocks photos by Christopher Windle.

A note: Live Nation is promoting Duran shows on the coming tour. If my recent experience with Live Nation is any indication, expect to go through some strict preshow security. Lines were like anything I have seen when I saw Black Sabbath in January. The security guards blamed it on Ozzy. Maybe Duran will be more lenient.