The Cure Delivers A Set For The Ages At Madison Square Garden Show

The huge number of fans waiting in long lines to buy Cure merchandise at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, where the British band played Tuesday, pretty much explained the fervent popularity the Robert Smith-led collective has commanded for more than 40 years. Before, during and after the concert, those fans snapped up whatever the vendors were hawking—the most popular being the black T-shirts and specially-made posters marking the occasion of the Cure’s appearance ) at the famed arena for three sold-out nights (which concluded Thursday. For the New York faithful in attendance, this was their Goth version of Woodstock.

Tuesday’s concert was part of the band’s current and highly acclaimed Shows of a Lost World tour, which garnered significant media attention when Smith addressed Ticketmaster over high ticket costs that later resulted in refunds and lower fees on behalf of the buyers. (Also in keeping with the band not gouging the fans, the merch was decently priced, too–a T-shirt only cost $25, for instance). Whether it was the tickets, the souvenirs or both, those fans at the Garden definitely got their money’s worth during the first night of the Cure’s New York stand—featuring the current band lineup of singer-guitarist Smith, bassist Simon Gallup, keyboardist Roger O’Donnell, guitarists Reeves Gabrels and Perry Bamonte, and drummer Jason Cooper.

Like a marathon Bruce Springsteen show, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group played a well-rounded set of popular favorites and deep cuts for nearly three hours that ran close to midnight. Against a dazzling and dreamy visual backdrop, Smith and company launched their show with “Alone,” one of several new songs from the setlist along with “ “A Fragile Thing,” “And Norhting Is Forever” and “I Can Never Say Goodbye.” They fitted quite nicely with the familiar and previously released Cure material such as “Pictures of You,” “Love Song,” “A Night Like This,” “From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea,” and “A Forest,” and will hopefully make their official debut on a future Cure studio album (the band’s last record was 4:13 Dream from 2008). There were also even really rare songs from the band’s catalog played reportedly for the first time in years, such as “Six Different Ways” (from the 1985 album The Head on the Door)

That main set was followed by two encores: the first was devoted to extended and turbulent-sounding material like “Plainsong,” “Disintegration” and “At Night. The second encore was a rundown of the Cure’s more popular and beloved hits that really those audience members in the upper rows standing and dancing: among those classics were “Friday I’m in Love,” “Just Like Heaven,” “The Walk,” “In Between Days” and “Close to Me.”

Smith and the band members didn’t disappoint with their dynamic performances—there was not one lull in the proceedings, and Smith himself appeared to be in good and even humorous spirits. Whether they played long, extended songs about alienation or uplifting romantic and dance-oriented numbers, the Cure captivated the packed audience which not only included young fans decked out in the usual Goth-styled attire but also middle-aged and older people. That really said something about the Cure’s continued appeal and relevance to generations of people who always felt like outsiders but found a hypnotic and assuring salve in the band’s music.

The Shows of a Lost World tour in North America continues through July 1 before the band returns for their appearance at Chicago’s Riot Fest in September.

Setlist (June 20, 2023)

Alone

Pictures of You

A Fragile Thing

Kyoto Song

A Night Like This

Lovesong

And Nothing Is Forever

Three Imaginary Boys

Burn

Push

Play for Today

A Forest

Shake Dog Shake

From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea

Endsong

Encore:

I Can Never Say Goodbye

It Can Never Be the Same

At Night

Plainsong

Disintegration

Encore 2:

Lullaby

Six Different Ways

The Walk

Friday I’m in Love

Close to Me

Why Can’t I Be You?

In Between Days

Just Like Heaven

Boys Don’t Cry