Greatest Hits, New Tunes, B-Sides and Covers from the Legends
Warning: Some spoilers if you plan on catching this tour!
Over a decade ago, I had a chance to take my Dad to see Tears for Fears at the 9:30 club in DC. He still says it’s his favorite concert we’ve ever attended. Last year, I had a chance to take my son to see Garbage at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. Shirley and the boys did not disappoint. We had the added benefit of it being our first live concert during COVID.
Last year, Tears for Fears announced their first album in 17 years, The Tipping Point. They also announced a new tour with Garbage opening for them…and they were coming here to town on Father’s Day! Three generations of our family had a chance to see some of their favorite groups live together.
My Dad had to back out due to health reasons, unfortunately, but the rest of us went. (The roster for those keeping track was Brandon, his girlfriend, my beautiful wife, and me.) Getting to Columbia, MD from Virginia on the I-95 side requires knowing how to NOT trade paint with the various drivers who think they’re either F-1 racers or just the most important assholes on the planet.
We arrived with plenty of time and immediately hit the merch booth (always do this early, kids.) We had pavilion seats, unlike last time. Call me crazy but when you drive 2 hours and go to a 4-hour show, treat yourself and don’t get lawn seats. (We were still close enough to suffer the folks smoking really shitty weed on the lawn.) At 7:30, the lights dropped, and Garbage hit the stage.
Like I said, we saw Garbage last year. This was not the same level of performance. This set smoked last year. I don’t know if it was a year of touring to get back to muscle memory and skill. It may be that they were opening for Tears for Fears whose new album is tight, as opposed to opening for Alanis Morrisette celebrating her one big album from 30 years ago. Either way, the track selection, energy, and delivery were a whole tier above.
The set included expected classics like Stupid Girl, Push It, and Only Happy When It Rains. The real surprise was deep tracks like Cherry Lips, and the James Bond soundtrack title song, The World is Not Enough. They also brought out familiar favorites like Queer, and Special. Last year, they dipped a toe into the cover song waters, performing Depeche Mode’s Personal Jesus. This time around, Shirley sang some of Fleetwood Mac’s Visions over You Look So Fine.
Garbage alone would have been a show, but Tears for Fears is on a mission. The Tipping Point is their first album in 17 years. It wasn’t born of band derision or financial dependence. Both founders Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal had been listening to their agents and producers who wanted to have them lean in to working with new up-and-coming artists. Eventually, they fired everyone and went back into a room with a couple acoustic guitars.
Roland’s wife passed away after the last few years of battles with addiction and depression. Emerging from that with music as therapy is evident in every song on the album. The band played more than half of the album, opening with the country ballad, No Small Thing. They followed that up with the ear worm title track, The Tipping Point. Other songs included My Demons, Rivers of Mercy, and Long, Long, Long Time.
The band always brings a female vocalist to help with both melodies and backing tracks. One of their most popular songs is Woman in Chains. Oleta Adams sings on the recording, creating some very fancy shoes to fill. On this tour, the band is joined by the amazing Lauren Evans (Peabo Bryson, The Black-Eyed Peas, Christina Aguilera.) She gets a lead opportunity on Suffer the Children. After that, Woman in Chains opens, and Evans makes the most out of her opportunity.
Tears for Fears went a little less out of expectations with their song choice. Where Garbage picked B-sides, the headliner picked tracks from the latest release. Why not? It’s closest to the band’s collective heart and message.
As for sound, every element was distinctive and powerful. Garbage always balances recorded elements with their live sound. Tears picked a great blend of Rickenbacker bass, Fender Stratocaster and telecasters and tons of keys and drum triggers.
From the crowd, it was amazing to see artists who live for their craft so excited for another chance to perform. At their peak, both Garbage and Tears for Fears are among the best composers and live bands of our generation. Seeing them together should have been some sort of cognitive dissonance. Instead, it was a wonderful blend of sonic triggers and energy.
One of the true stars of the show was the 13-year-old girl in the front row who knew every lyric and was screaming her heart out. She even got a call out from Tears for Fears’ Curt Smith.
Pour your misery down on me,
nK