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Live Review: Boy George & Culture Club w/ Berlin and Howard Jones @ Daily’s Place (Jacksonville, Fla.) — 7/16/23

Boy George & Culture Club are touring across the USA in The Letting It Go Show Tour, and they have recruited fellow ’80s chart toppers Berlin and Howard Jones to open. The result is a big show full of incredible music and a guaranteed good time for all.

Last week, Culture Club tour made a stop at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Fla., and the three new wave bands kept the packed amphitheater dancing and singing their hearts out all night long.

At Daily’s Place on July 16, the vibrant and energetic tone was set by Boy George, who was all smiles as he served as a master of ceremonies for an evening of both thoughtful tunes and dance grooves. George was really quite gregarious and luxuriated in the applause of the audience. Early in the set, he greeted a few fans, even kneeling down on stage right to apparently collect a gift and shake some hands!

Boy George’s bluesy voice was in fine shape. He opened the show with the cheery and appropriate “Next Thing Will Be Amazing,” which was great for setting the tone for the night. That new song was one of five performed in Jacksonville, Fla., that apparently are set for a new album in the near future. Culture Club sprinkled those songs throughout the set, placing “Melodrama” somewhat near the beginning and “Hold Back the Feeling” in the middle.

In the first third of the show, Culture Club performed “Let It Go,” the new song that lends its name to the tour. The Culture Club band came together really well for the sweet and sad song. Although a slow song for sure, the tune showcased Mikey Craig’s delightful bass.

The new stuff was great and easy to pick up, but fear not if you’re going for the hits because there are plenty of those too! Straightaway, Boy George and Culture Club performed “It’s a Miracle” and “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya” as the second and third songs in the set, spotlighting two of the greatest albums of the ’80s — Colour by Numbers (1983) and Kissing to Be Clever (1982), respectively.

Watch Boy George & Culture Club perform “It’s a Miracle” live for BBC Radio 2 on YouTube:

Another highlight of the show was the band’s medley of Colour by Numbers’ “Church of the Poison Mind” and “I’m Your Man” by Wham!, which appeared near the end of the main set. The medley was a tremendous showcase for the gifted backup singer Roxy Yarnold, who joined George at stage center to deliver a soaring vocal. Roxy was a wonderful complement to George, and she really gave life to the medley with a vocal truly inspired by the glory days of Motown.

I must also applaud the tireless Roy Hay, who keeps the Culture Club engine churning along with George and Mikey. The versatile instrumentalist dominated stage right, moving from guitar to keyboard and never staying in one place for too long. Roy’s moving keyboards were a highlight of “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” another mid-set number, and every Culture Club number benefits his mastery of the guitar.

In introducing “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” George shared a recollection that he was reluctant to release the song as he felt it was too personal and potentially painful. But instead, he found it to be cathartic when people all over the world embrace the song and really understood what George was trying to say upon its release in 1982. George, I speak for all of us packing stadiums on this tour when I say, “We hear you!”

At Daily’s Place, Howard Jones opened the show with an extraordinarily bright and punchy set of signature tunes. His nine-song set began with “Like to Get to Know You Well” from the sophisticated debut album Human’s Lib (1984). Along the way, Howard and his band played the always popular “Everlasting Love” from Cross That Line (1989), the emotional “No One Is to Blame” from the terrific album Dream into Action (1985), and the hopeful “Things Can Only Get Better” from the same to close the show.

Watch the official music video for “Things Can Only Get Better” by Howard Jones on YouTube:

Howard also added a cover of “Too Shy” by Kajagoogoo as a nod to his bassist, Nick Beggs, a member of that memorable ’80s band. Howard also was accompanied by musicians that you look forward to seeing in his show — players like the great synthesist Robbie Bronnimann, who imbues the performance with great electronic styling. Howard has a great personal magnetism, and he always delivers a great show with his strong and deep catalog of well-crafted and optimistic songs.

After Howard, California new wavers Berlin, led by frontwoman Terri Nunn, blew the audience away with songs from their incredibly smart and unforgettable catalog. At Daily’s Place, Berlin truly delivered, opening with “Masquerade” from Pleasure Victim (1982), and the band soon played the catchy and dance worthy “The Metro” soon afterward.

Watch the official music video for “The Metro” by Berlin on YouTube:

I’m a diehard fan of the Second British Invasion, which delivered Boy George and Howard Jones to my MTV screens in the ’80s but few American bands make me so happy as Berlin, who can frankly do no wrong. In recent years, band founder John Crawford has returned to the fold to play bass and sing, and so has guitarist David Diamond. The gents looked like they were having a very good time as they played their tunes on stage, and it was nothing short of ecstatic to witness them in action once again.

And it must be said that Terri was on fire. She was incredibly effervescent throughout the show, but she also captured the attention of the crowd with a killer red dress that was almost as much the talk of the show as the music!

In moving to close their show, Berlin covered “She Sells Sanctuary” by The Cult, during which Terri paraded through the audience to sing the last half. And they ended the set on the very adult “Sex (I’m a…),” which gave Mr. Crawford a welcome opportunity to camp it up with his repeating refrain of “I’m a man.” Everyone on stage and in the audience was truly made it a wonderful night.

Boy George & Culture Club bring their The Letting It Go Show to Jiffy Lube Live in the DC area on Friday, July 28, along with Howard Jones and Berlin. Don’t miss this show!

Here are some photos of Howard Jones opening Culture Club at Daily’s Place on July 16, 2023. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.

Here are some photos of Berlin opening Culture Club at Daily’s Place on July 16, 2023. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.

Here are some photos of Boy George & Culture Club performing at Daily’s Place on July 16, 2023. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.

Great review! I saw the Philly show 7/30. Interesting enough Berlin was first in Philly. One correction: Like To Get To Know You Well is from Dream Into Action, not Human’s Lib.

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Boy George and Culture Club, Howard Jones, Berlin romp through '80s classics on summer tour

BRISTOW, Va. – Never underestimate the power of nostalgia.

Summer amphitheater tours are frequently packaged affairs stocked with like-minded – and era-specific – bands.

The Letting It Go Show, featuring Boy George and Culture Club , Howard Jones and Berlin, is a gift to fans of ‘80s music, primarily because the artists all still offer potent collections of brain-ingrained hits.

At Jiffy Lube Live amphitheater in Virginia Friday – a couple of weeks into the tour that will wrap Aug. 20 in Concord, California – a generation-spanning crowd patiently awaited the trio of acts after a lengthy lightning delay.

Their reward was a heady package of musical memories.

Here are some highlights from the show, along with the artists’ abbreviated set lists.

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Berlin makes the most of a short set

With arms outstretched, Berlin maven Terri Nunn , 62, greeted an effusive audience that was appreciative to see the band, but also thankful the show started after a nearly 90-minute wait.

Unfortunately, Berlin was forced to be especially economical with their set, performing four songs in 20 minutes.

Understanding the time crunch, the five musicians sharing the stage – including founding member John Crawford and ‘80s-era member David Diamond on guitar – immediately tore into the New Wave magnificence of "No More Words" and "The Metro," their cascading synthesizers still evocative and their melodies indelible.

Nunn, sporting trademark black streaks in her white-blond hair, sounded record-perfect  as she soared through the band’s No. 1 hit, the everlasting "Top Gun" ballad, "Take My Breath Away." The diminutive singer, clad in a sleeveless black dress, walked (with a bodyguard) a few rows into the crowd to sing, facing the back portion of the venue and leading fans in swaying their arms overhead.

Longtime followers of the band were undoubtedly thrilled to see Crawford trade lyrics with Nunn on “Sex (I’m A …)” as they stalked each other on stage, bringing more heat to an already steamy night.

Berlin set list

• “No More Words.”
• “The Metro.”
• “Take My Breath Away.”
• “Sex (I’m A …).”

Howard Jones marks 40 years of ‘New Song’

The genial keyboard wizard started his set with an easy mandate: “We play with total energy and you sing every song,” he said.

Backed by a four-piece band including intriguing bassist/Chapman stick player Nick Beggs, Jones, 68, bopped around several neon-glowing poles stationed around the stage, sometimes leaning over his synthesizer, other times grabbing the mic for an impassioned note.

A revamped piano take on “New Song” included Jones, his upper range in fine form, hitting some long notes seemingly effortlessly. At 40 years old, the song still retains a springy youthfulness.

Personable and gracious during his 30-minute set, Jones tucked away his cheerfulness for his plaintive ballad, “What is Love?,” which he infused with pathos as it escalated into a dramatic wall of sound of keyboards and electric guitar and ended on a literal high note.

Jones wrapped his efficient set with “Things Can Only Get Better,” the audience happily shouting the “whoa, whoa, whoa-oh-o” part of the chorus as Jones smiled his way through the perky bop.

 Howard Jones set list

• “Like to Get to Know You Well.”
• “Everlasting Love.”
• “New Song.”
• “What is Love?”
• “Things Can Only Get Better.”

Culture Club gleefully romps through ‘80s classics

Few can make an entrance as gleefully as Boy George and on this night, he and Culture Club opted to start with a song they had been saving for the encore at previous shows – a smoking version of the Rolling Stones’ "Sympathy for the Devil."

"When I die – if I die – I want to be Mick Jagger," he said with the first of many wicked grins flashed throughout the hour-ish set.

Flanked by fellow original Culture Club members Mikey Craig on bass and Roy Hay on guitar and keyboards, Boy George, 62, looked flawlessly glamorous in layers of black and blue fabric, a gray hat tilted on his head.

Culture Club unspooled their realm of hits with layered precision by springing for a four-piece band – including a percussionist and saxophonist – and two impressive backup singers.

Boy George shimmied and gestured his way through "It’s a Miracle," his voice creamy and soulful before teasing "Shall we tumble?"

That led, naturally, into the slinky groove of "I’ll Tumble 4 Ya," followed by a reggae-fied cover of Bread’s "Everything I Own."

Boy George appeared genuinely happy throughout the set, smiling as he skipped around the stage. He led the band through ‘80s time capsules, including "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" and the spotlight of the night, "Church of the Poison Mind," which was ingeniously meshed with Wham!’s "I’m Your Man" in a pleasant marriage of cadence and spirit.

The encore included mainstay "Karma Chameleon," but more satisfying were the glistening soul of "Time (Clock of the Heart)" and "Miss Me Blind," given a ‘70s club vibe thanks to Hay scratching out a disco rhythm on guitar.

Culture Club set list

• “Sympathy for the Devil.”
• “It’s a Miracle.”
• “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya.”
• “Everything I Own.”
• “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?”
• “That’s the Way (I’m Only Trying to Help You).”
• “Church of the Poison Mind/I’m Your Man.”
• “Time (“Clock of the Heart”).
• “Miss Me Blind.”
• “Karma Chameleon.”
• “Bang a Gong (Get it On).”

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Boy George And Culture Club Announce ‘The Letting It Go Show’ 2023 Tour

HOWARD JONES AND BERLIN TO JOIN ACROSS ALL DATES  

Tickets available starting wednesday, april 19 with citi presale  , general onsale begins friday, april 21 at 10 am local on livenation.com  .

Today, music icons Boy George and Culture Club announced their 2023 tour, The Letting It Go Show , featuring very special guests Howard Jones and BERLIN across all dates. The prolific band will be performing all the hits, including “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me,” ‘Karma Chameleon,’ and ‘Church of the Poisoned Mind,’ right up to their current releases.  

Produced by Live Nation, the 25-city run comes fresh on the heels of Boy George and Culture Club wrapping up their sold-out Vegas shows. The Letting It Go Show kicks off on Thursday, July 13 in West Palm Beach, FL at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, with stops across North America in Atlanta, GA, Nashville, TN, Toronto, ON, Chicago, IL, Austin, TX and more before wrapping up on Saturday, August 20 in Concord, CA at Concord Pavilion.  

TICKETS: Tickets will be available starting with a Citi presale (details below) beginning Wednesday, April 19. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, April 21 at 10 AM local time at livenation.com . 

PRESALE: Citi is the official card of the Culture Club tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Wednesday, April 19 at 10 AM  local time until Thursday, April 20 at 10 PM local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com .  

THE LETTING IT GO SHOW 2023 TOUR DATES:  

Thu Jul 13 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre 

Sat Jul 15 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre 

Sun Jul 16 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place Amphitheatre 

Tue Jul 18 – Atlanta, GA – Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park 

Wed Jul 19 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion 

Thu Jul 20 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater 

Sat Jul 22 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts 

Sun Jul 23 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater 

Tue Jul 25 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center 

Wed Jul 26 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center 

Fri Jul 28 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live 

Sat Jul 29 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater 

Sun Jul 30 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at the Mann 

Tue Aug 01 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage 

Thu Aug 03 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre 

Fri Aug 04 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre 

Sat Aug 05 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center 

Tue Aug 08 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre 

Thu Aug 10 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion 

Fri Aug 11 – The Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion 

Sat Aug 12 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater 

Mon Aug 14 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP 

Fri Aug 18 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre 

Sat Aug 19 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre 

Sun Aug 20 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion 

About Culture Club  

Few new wave groups were as popular as Culture Club. During the early ’80s, the group racked up seven straight Top Ten hits in the U.K. and six Top Ten singles in the U.S. with their light, infectious pop-soul. Though their music was radio-ready, what brought the band stardom was Boy George, the group’s charismatic, cross-dressing lead singer. George dressed in flamboyant dresses and wore heavy makeup, creating a disarmingly androgynous appearance that created a sensation on early MTV. George also had a biting wit and frequently came up with cutting quips that won Culture Club heavy media exposure in both America and Britain.  

By the time Culture Club’s second album Colour by Numbers was released in the fall of 1983, the band was the most popular pop/rock group in America and England. “Karma Chameleon” became a number one hit on both sides of the Atlantic, while the album reached number one in the U.K. and number two in the U.S. Throughout 1984, the group racked up hits, with “It’s a Miracle” and “Miss Me Blind” reaching the Top Ten. In the fall, the group returned with its third album, Waking Up with the House on Fire. While “The War Song” reached number two in the U.K., the album was a disappointment in America, stalling at platinum; its predecessor went quadruple platinum. 

Following a brief tour in February, Culture Club went on hiatus for 1985, with Craig, Moss, and Hay pursuing extracurricular musical projects in the interim. Though their comeback single, “Move Away,” became a hit in April, its accompanying album From Luxury to Heartache stayed on the charts for only a few months. 

George confirmed the group’s disbandment in the spring of 1987, and he began a solo career later that year. While his solo career produced several dance hits in Europe, he didn’t land an American hit until 1992, when his cover of Dave Berry’s “The Crying Game” was featured in the Academy Award-nominated film of the same name. In 1995, George published his autobiography, Take It Like a Man. Culture Club reunited in 1998, issuing the two-disc set VH1 Storytellers/Greatest Hits. 

A new album, Don’t Mind If I Do, appeared in 1999, reaching 64 on the U.K. charts; it did not receive an American release. Culture Club next celebrated their 20th Anniversary with a 2002 concert at Royal Albert Hall. 

Culture Club reunited in 2014 for a tour and the band also began work on a new album with producer Youth. The group scheduled the release of an album called Tribes in 2015, but the record never materialized. Instead, the recordings provided the foundation for Life, the 2018 album that marked Culture Club’s first new album in nearly 20 years. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi 

Connect with Culture Club: 

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Website  

About Howard Jones   2023 marks the 40-year anniversary of the release of Howard Jones’ “New Song,” the ebullient hit that kicked off his career.  Howard Jones’ most recent album is DIALOGUE, which was released in September of last year.  DIALOGUE is the third album in a trilogy of electronic releases from Jones with multi-media project ENGAGE coming out in 2015 and studio album TRANSFORM out in 2019.  DIALOGUE garnered serious coverage in outlets such as Spin , Stereogum and more. Last summer’s headlining tour with his full band/electronic set-up, featuring special guest alternative music legend Midge received rave reviews.  LA Weekly declared Jones, “…poignant and perfect” and “absolutely superb”. 

Electronic music pioneer Howard Jones has been a constant presence on the international touring scene for the past four decades, playing live in a number of different configurations including intimate solo shows and dates with his full high-tech band set-up.  He first burst upon the contemporary music scene in 1983, with his very English songwriting and pioneering synthesizers with “New Song”. His first two albums HUMAN’S LIB and DREAM INTO ACTION were worldwide hits.  HUMAN’S LIB reached #1 in 1984 in the UK and featured the hits “New Song,” and “What Is Love?”  In 1985, Jones released the follow-up, DREAM INTO ACTION, which quickly became a Top Ten Platinum album in the United States and featured the smashes: “Things Can Only Get Better,” “Life In One Day,” “No One Is To Blame,” and “Like To Get To Know You Well.”  

Howard Jones has sold nearly 10 million albums worldwide and continues to make new music and tour the world.  Jones has performed on NBC’s top-rated morning and nighttime shows respectively, Today and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.  His ubiquitous hits can be heard in such high-profile television series and films such as “Stranger Things,” “Breaking Bad,” “Watchmen,” “The Carrie Diaries”, “Superstore” and “Bumblebee”.  

Connect with Howard Jones: 

Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Website  

About BERLIN  

BERLIN will forever be recognized as the American progenitor of electro-pop artistry with sensually appealing lyrics.  Few bands emerging from the era of BERLIN have achieved as far-reaching and long-lasting an impact and, rarely, such a timeless array of musical grooves.  The Los Angeles-based band made its first national impression with the provocative single “Sex (I’m A…)” from the platinum-selling debut EP Pleasure Victim in 1982. “The Metro” and “No More Words” were also chart toppers, but it was the unforgettable, intimate, and strikingly beautiful love song, “Take My Breath Away” that took the band to another level.  The ballad’s defining role in the Tom Cruise film, Top Gun , helped solidify BERLIN’s everlasting place in American pop-culture.  The song was a #1 international hit and received both the Golden Globe and Academy Award for “Best Original Song” in 1986. 

BERLIN’s discography has yielded twelve gold and platinum album awards. The band—founded by Nunn, bassist John Crawford, and keyboard player David Diamond—made its everlasting place in American pop-culture. Nunn’s ongoing influence earned her the #11 spot on VH1.com’s “100 Greatest Women in Rock,” while, as an actress, she played leading roles in films including Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold with Kim Basinger, and Thank God It’s Friday with Jeff Goldblum and Debra Winger. Along with comedienne, Wendy Liebman, Nunn also previously hosted the critically acclaimed radio show Unbound with Terri Nunn on 88.5 FM KCSN Los Angeles. 

Connect with BERLIN: 

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Website  

About Live Nation Entertainment  

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com . 

MEDIA CONTACTS:  

Culture Club   Shoshanna Stone | [email protected]   

Howard Jones   Carise Yatter | [email protected]   

BERLIN   Andy Lurie | [email protected]   

Live Nation Concerts  

Monique Sowinski | [email protected]  

Maya Sarin | [email protected]   

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Culture Club concert reviews and tour history

• rating: 91.7% (3)

Fans' concert reviews

Rac arena in perth, australia on tue, 05 sep 2023.

A very pleasant surprise I was not expecting to much but both Berlin and Culture Club put on a fantastic show worth every cent

Queens Hall in Leeds, UK on Fri, 16 Dec 1983

This was a great concert, shared with my best friend Sharon . George has a brilliant voice that just gets better with age :D

Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, US on Fri, 07 Sep 2018

Setlist Let's Dance (David Bowie cover) Play Video It's a Miracle Play Video I'll Tumble for Ya Play Video Let Somebody Love You Play Video Time (Clock of the Heart) Play Video Runaway Train Play Video Everything I Own (Bread cover) Play Video Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? Play Video Different Man (with gospel coda) Play Video Miss Me Blind Play Video Church of the Poison Mind Play Video Encore: Life Play Video Addicted to Love (Robert Palmer cover) Play Video Karma Chameleon (followed by mash up of Aretha' s Chain of Fools sung over Led Zep's Heartbreaker (Band Intros))

Rated concerts

• Queens Hall in Leeds, UK Fri, 16 Dec 1983 100% from 1 rating
• RAC Arena in Perth, Australia Tue, 05 Sep 2023 100% from 1 rating
• Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, US Fri, 07 Sep 2018 75% from 1 rating

Ratings View all

• one of the best: 2 67%
• fantastic: 0 0%
• great: 1 33%
• disappointing: 0 0%
• should've stayed at home: 0 0%

Biggest fans

Culture club tour history, about culture club.

Culture Club is a group founded 43 years ago in 1981 in London, UK.

Based on our research data, it appears, that the first Culture Club concert happened 42 years ago on Sat, 19 Jun 1982 in Haçienda - Manchester, UK and that the last Culture Club concert was 7 months ago on Thu, 14 Sep 2023 in Brisbane Entertainment Centre - Brisbane, Australia.

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Music review: Culture Club

The Karma Chameleon and pioneer of androgyny Boy George returned to Adelaide with his band for a night of nostalgia.

In 1984, with long brown hair and a hot pink blazer, the frontman of Culture Club stepped onto a now-demolished bridge in Rundle Mall to a throng of adoring fans.

Boy George was an aesthetic anomaly, a pioneer of androgyny and a progressive icon. Adelaide didn’t know what hit it.

Now, that very same mall is regularly filled with young Adelaideans embracing androgynous fashion, style and identity – in many cases, they probably have no clue about the Culture Club singer’s impact on them.

The Mall’s bridge is gone, too – something bemoaned by Boy George at Culture Club’s Adelaide Entertainment Centre performance last night.

“You remember when I was the only weirdo in town – now they’re everywhere,” he laughed.

“I liked it better when it was just me.”

He might well have been referring to the crowd before him. Fans across generations came to see Culture Club, many decked out in neon, big hair and sequined suits. Other chose to don George Alan O’Dowd’s trademark hat.

They were there for a trip down memory lane for the most part, with older audience members out in force for this band that’s maintained a soft spot in the Australian psyche.

Although this reviewer was born in ’94, tracks like “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me” have been inescapable karaoke hits for my entire life. O’Dowd’s multi-year appearance on televised talent show The Voice also rejuvenated his (somewhat fraught) image in the minds of Australians.

Culture Club kicked off their Adelaide gig with a string of hits, including “It’s A Miracle”, “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya” and “Move Away”. The band settled into a groove with the reggae-infused pop they’re half-known for before moving onto a section of the setlist more dedicated to their synth ballads.

Before they stepped onto the stage, however, the crowd was treated to an opening set from another ’80s throwback: Berlin. The band is most famous for the song that launched thousands upon thousands of marriages, “Take My Breath Away”. But diving into their discography last night, Berlin managed to convince the crowd they were worth their time. Singer Terri Nunn even hopped off the stage – backed by security guards – to croon for the seated Entertainment Centre audience.

But it was Culture Club that the hodgepodge audience had come to see. The band’s tour through their greatest hits eventually came to a climax with a rendition of “Victims” from their 1983 album Colour by Numbers . Commencing with the now-iconic piano riff and building into a triumphant serenade, the song was clearly the centrepiece of the show for O’Dowd, who pulled off the track perfectly all these years later.

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The hits kept coming – “Time (Clock of the Heart)” being a standout – before an encore performance first of T. Rex’s “Bang a Gong (Get It On)” and, finally, “Karma Chameleon”.

Adelaide may have changed in the years since Boy George stepped on that Rundle Mall bridge, and that bridge is now entirely gone. But whatever the band put in the water that day has made an indelible mark.

Culture Club played at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on September 11 as part of their Greatest Hits Tour.

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He might well have been referring to the crowd before him. Fans across generations came to see Culture Club, many decked out in neon, big hair and sequined suits. Other chose to don George Alan O’Dowd’s trademark hat.

This article is republished from InReview under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article .

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Boy George & Culture Club review – callow colossus returns as a burnished catwalk ragamuffin

Brighton Centre Pop’s gender-blurring 80s idol is still an extraordinary act – conjuring hip-swinging choruses, gospel benediction and jazzy fluidity for a roaring crowd

‘W e are Culture Club: a living, breathing soap opera. The amount of drama on this stage would kill a beginner,” says Boy George , with the manner of someone who’s only relaying the facts. Note that his reunited pop/reggae/soul combo are touring as Boy George & Culture Club, which somewhat undermines George’s insistence that the four-man group are a democracy. And four is currently three: the Sun suggested that drummer Jon Moss was sacked after a recent US tour. George has strongly denied this was the case and said Moss was “taking a break” to spend time with his kids. His absence passes without so much as a mention.

Guitarist Roy Hay and bassist Mikey Craig are here, though, and three-quarters of a punchy, motivated Culture Club are better than no Culture Club – a band who are as extraordinary now as they were when they first appeared in 1982 . They’ve just released a long-delayed album that debuted at No 12, their best chart position since 1986. The dismantling of gender and sexuality norms that defines modern pop has tendrils in Culture Club’s blurring of the same lines – a much braver act in an era when national papers could with impunity call George a “gender-bender”. And, as a 57-year-old “national wreckage” (which he prefers to “treasure”) , the Boy still has things to offer.

There’s the voice, for one. The youthful purity has matured into a burnished lower range, perfect for 80s heartbreakers such as Time and Victims – the latter torchily performed by George alone, with Hay on piano – and the rattling blues piece Runaway Train, from new album Life. (The handful of Life tracks played tonight don’t stray far from the soul-pop template, but are fresh enough to keep Culture Club out of the nostalgia category.) With the jazzy fluidity comes more breathing space, too. The band’s debut hit, Do You Really Want to Hurt Me, is slowed down and only gradually blossoms into its hip-swinging reggae chorus. Another tick in the credit column is a reflectiveness that George didn’t possess as a callow pop colossus. Serving time in 2009 for assaulting an escort induced him to change his life, and the empathy he accrued now goes into new songs such as Different Man – a gospel-ish benediction written after he read that Sly Stone was living in a van .

There’s also, amid the eye-scorching lighting effects and ragamuffin-cum-catwalk suits, an acknowledgment that life is too short for pettiness. That is one way of interpreting the appearance of Wham!’s I’m Your Man in the middle of the 1983 hit Church of the Poison Mind. George and George Michael had only recently mended their tattered friendship when Michael died; if this buoyant cover is a tribute, it’s a sweet one. Meanwhile, louche cocktail-bar covers of Get It On and Let’s Dance slip into the setlist because George is a lifelong T Rex and Bowie nut.

If Culture Club are angling to make gigs like these a long-term thing – unlikely, because of George’s well-established DJ career – they’re lucky in having a fanbase happy to dance to new material. But the biggest roar of the night still goes to – of course – 35-year-old Karma Chameleon.

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Culture Club Announces Tour With Howard Jones and Berlin

Citi is the official card of the Culture Club tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets from April 19 at 10 a.m. until April 20 at 10 p.m. The general onsale begins April 21 at 10 a.m. local time here .

From the April 18 announcement: Few new wave groups were as popular as Culture Club . During the early ’80s, the group racked up seven straight Top Ten hits in the U.K. and six in the U.S. with their light, infectious pop-soul. Though their music was radio-ready, what brought the band stardom was Boy George, the group’s charismatic, cross-dressing lead singer. George dressed in flamboyant dresses and wore heavy makeup, creating a disarmingly androgynous appearance that created a sensation on early MTV. George also had a biting wit and frequently came up with cutting quips that won Culture Club heavy media exposure in both America and Britain.

By the time Culture Club’s second album Colour by Numbers was released in the fall of 1983, the band was the most popular pop/rock group in America and England. “Karma Chameleon” became a number one hit on both sides of the Atlantic, while the album reached number one in the U.K. and number two in the U.S. Throughout 1984, the group racked up hits, with “It’s a Miracle” and “Miss Me Blind” reaching the Top Ten.

Electronic music pioneer Howard Jones has been a constant presence on the international touring scene for the past four decades, playing live in a number of different configurations including intimate solo shows and dates with his full high-tech band set-up. He first burst upon the contemporary music scene in 1983, with his very English songwriting and pioneering synthesizers with “New Song.” His first album, Human’s Lib, reached #1 in 1984 in the U.K. and featured the hits “New Song,” and “What Is Love?” In 1985, Jones released the follow-up, Dream Into Action, which became a Top Ten Platinum album in the U.S. and featured the smashes “Things Can Only Get Better,” “Life In One Day,” “No One Is To Blame,” and “Like To Get To Know You Well.”

Berlin will forever be recognized as the American progenitor of electro-pop artistry with sensually appealing lyrics. The Los Angeles-based band made its first impression with the provocative single “Sex (I’m A…)” from the platinum-selling debut, Pleasure Victim , in 1982. But it was the striking love song, “Take My Breath Away,” that took the band to another level. The ballad’s defining role in the Tom Cruise film, Top Gun , helped solidify their everlasting place in American pop-culture. The song was a #1 international hit and received both the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1986. Berlin’s discography has yielded twelve gold and platinum album awards. The band was founded by Nunn, bassist John Crawford, and keyboard player David Diamond.

The Letting It Go Show 2023 Tour (Tickets will be available here ) Thu Jul 13 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre Sat Jul 15 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre Sun Jul 16 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place Amphitheatre Tue Jul 18 – Atlanta, GA – Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park Wed Jul 19 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion Thu Jul 20 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater Sat Jul 22 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts Sun Jul 23 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater Tue Jul 25 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center Wed Jul 26 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center Fri Jul 28 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live Sat Jul 29 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater Sun Jul 30 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at the Mann Tue Aug 01 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage Thu Aug 03 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Fri Aug 04 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre Sat Aug 05 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center Tue Aug 08 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre Thu Aug 10 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion Fri Aug 11 – The Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Sat Aug 12 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater Mon Aug 14 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP Fri Aug 18 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre Sat Aug 19 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre Sun Aug 20 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion

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OC MUSIC NEWS

BOY GEORGE + CULTURE CLUB REVIEW

Boy George & Culture Club

Shine at pacific amp, august 22, 2022 review by jimmy alvarez, the oc fair has packed its bags and left for the summer, so one would think the summer concert series was also done. no so fast summer is alive and well at pac amp and it just brought us boy george & culture club, i am not sure if i am supposed to call him “boy,” “george,” or “boy george” either way, his fans turned out on august 18th to see him and his mates return to costa mesa. this time, boy brought along another ‘80s icon, terri nunn and berlin., so picture this: it was late afternoon at the oc fairgrounds as i rolled up to the box office to get my passes. i looked around and noticed people were wearing a lot of day-glo, and i had never seen such a large number of mtv t-shirts in one place, plus boy george hats with dreads were everywhere. i thought to myself, “holy crap” there are a ton of ‘80s fans here and they all love these two bands., pacific amphitheatre, costa mesa, california, august 18, 2022.

While at my seat, I saw countless concertgoers taking photos of themselves in the Boy George or Madonna outfits with the stage bearing the Berlin drum kit in the background. I had a very nice and insightful conversation with a couple sitting next to me. They were excited to see both bands, and as the ‘80s themed music was blaring over the sound system, she said something to the effect of “It’s remarkable that everyone in the place have shared the same experiences in life through these bands. It’s wonderful how music can bring us all together, and help us through life.” It was a very poignant and astute observation.

Then, the lights dimmed, the overhead music stopped, and out came berlin. the subtle crowd erupted in cheers as nunn took the stage and belted out those immortal words, “the painted faces on the street, caricatures of long ago, oh they were young and oh so sweet, down beyond the boulevard, knock on doors and empty halls, and still sometimes remember the masquerade’s forever.” the crowd went off and sang along to “masquerade.”.

The band sounded fresh, and Nunn looked and sounded as good as ever.

In an interview with nunn not long ago, she told me she loves the feeling of walking on stage and the energy from the crowd: “it’s an energy that is indescribable.” as she went into her second chorus, i saw that infectious smile of hers and knew she was amped for this one..

Since opening bands don’t have the entire night to show off their catalog, bands like Berlin give you the hit parade. Nunn and the guys went right into “No More Words” and “The Metro” before going into more recent tunes like “Touch,” “Animal,” and “She Sells Sanctuary.” Nunn also gave a heart-warming tribute to Olivia Newton-John before walking out into the crowd to serenade them to “Take My Breath Away.”

That is always a show stopping moment. No matter where I see Berlin perform, the crowd gets so immersed and it is emotional for all. As everyone got themselves back together, since we are in the OC, the crowd screamed their heads off to “Sex.” Well, the Disney version.

What’s amazed me this entire summer is how quickly the pac amp staff has managed to switch the stage from one band to another, and tonight was no different. very impressive stuff.

With the sun now a distant memory, the house lights took full effect. But, when it was time for the main event, the lights dimmed. The band took the stage with the back-up singers and the crowd cheered when Boy George emerged and started belting out “Next Thing Will Be Amazing.”

Immediately George was taken aback by the crowd and so thankful for the warm reception from the Boy George Fan Club that appeared to be everywhere. He was genuinely grateful to the fans for the reception and like Bruce Springsteen; George was animated – more than I thought he would be – and told great stories between songs.

Then the hit parade blasted off immediately to culture club with “it’s a miracle” and “i’ll tumble 4 ya.” the set was eclectic and the crowd dug it. with his volcanic colored jacket and an incredible light show with kick-ass back-up singers, it was a party atmosphere, everyone was on their feet. george also took time to acknowledge his long-time bandmates, mikey craig (bass) and roy hay (guitar)..

Boy then went into “Move Away” and “Hold Back” before he went into a song that stumped everyone at first. It was something he did post Culture Club hay-day; an almost reggae style cover of Bread’s (David Gates) “Everything I Own.” This is one of my personal favorites, and George did it justice. Judging from the reaction of the crowd, they were awestruck by this perfectly executed cover.

In the end, the big guns came out and the crowd was back to losing their minds to their era-(mtv)defining songs “do you really want to hurt me,” “church of the poison mind/i’m your man,” “miss me blind,” and a cover of the rolling stones’ “sympathy for the devil.”.

Then it was the showstopper moment; it was time for “Karma Chameleon,” and wow, wow, wow… Pac Amp turned into one big bowl of fiesta and sing-along. It really was a magical night and everyone was propelled back into 1980-something. As the lights finally came up, it was evident everyone shared in this very memorable musical experience.

Show photo gallery, by green-eyed blonde photography.

SID 220825 | TRACI TURNER, EDITOR

The Source For All Things Pop Culture

BOY GEORGE AND CULTURE CLUB Announce ‘The Letting It Go Show’ 2023 Tour

The legendary Boy George and Culture Club announced their 2023 tour, The Letting It Go Show , featuring very special guests Howard Jones and BERLIN across all dates. The prolific band will be performing all the hits, including “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me,” ‘Karma Chameleon,’ and ‘Church of the Poisoned Mind,’ right up to their current releases.

Produced by Live Nation, the 25-city run comes fresh on the heels of Boy George and Culture Club wrapping up their sold-out Vegas shows. The Letting It Go Show kicks off on Thursday, July 13 in West Palm Beach, FL at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, with stops across North America in Atlanta, GA, Nashville, TN, Toronto, ON, Chicago, IL, Austin, TX and more before wrapping up on Saturday, August 20 in Concord, CA at Concord Pavilion.

TICKETS: Tickets will be available starting with a Citi presale (details below) beginning Wednesday, April 19. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, April 21 at 10 AM local time at livenation.com .

PRESALE: Citi is the official card of the Culture Club tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Wednesday, April 19 at 10 AM local time until Thursday, April 20 at 10 PM local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com .

THE LETTING IT GO SHOW 2023 TOUR DATES:

Thu Jul 13 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre

Sat Jul 15 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

Sun Jul 16 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place Amphitheatre

Tue Jul 18 – Atlanta, GA – Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park

Wed Jul 19 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion

Thu Jul 20 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater

Sat Jul 22 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

Sun Jul 23 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theatre

Tue Jul 25 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center

Wed Jul 26 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center

Fri Jul 28 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live

Sat Jul 29 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater

Sun Jul 30 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at the Mann

Tue Aug 01 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage

Thu Aug 03 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

Fri Aug 04 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre

Sat Aug 05 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center

Tue Aug 08 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre

Thu Aug 10 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion

Fri Aug 11 – The Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Sat Aug 12 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater

Mon Aug 14 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP

Fri Aug 18 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre

Sat Aug 19 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

Sun Aug 20 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion

About Culture Club

Few new wave groups were as popular as Culture Club. During the early ’80s, the group racked up seven straight Top Ten hits in the U.K. and six Top Ten singles in the U.S. with their light, infectious pop-soul. Though their music was radio-ready, what brought the band stardom was Boy George, the group’s charismatic, cross-dressing lead singer. George dressed in flamboyant dresses and wore heavy makeup, creating a disarmingly androgynous appearance that created a sensation on early MTV. George also had a biting wit and frequently came up with cutting quips that won Culture Club heavy media exposure in both America and Britain.

By the time Culture Club’s second album Colour by Numbers was released in the fall of 1983, the band was the most popular pop/rock group in America and England. “Karma Chameleon” became a number one hit on both sides of the Atlantic, while the album reached number one in the U.K. and number two in the U.S. Throughout 1984, the group racked up hits, with “It’s a Miracle” and “Miss Me Blind” reaching the Top Ten. In the fall, the group returned with its third album, Waking Up with the House on Fire. While “The War Song” reached number two in the U.K., the album was a disappointment in America, stalling at platinum; its predecessor went quadruple platinum.

Following a brief tour in February, Culture Club went on hiatus for 1985, with Craig, Moss, and Hay pursuing extracurricular musical projects in the interim. Though their comeback single, “Move Away,” became a hit in April, its accompanying album From Luxury to Heartache stayed on the charts for only a few months.

George confirmed the group’s disbandment in the spring of 1987, and he began a solo career later that year. While his solo career produced several dance hits in Europe, he didn’t land an American hit until 1992, when his cover of Dave Berry’s “The Crying Game” was featured in the Academy Award-nominated film of the same name. In 1995, George published his autobiography, Take It Like a Man. Culture Club reunited in 1998, issuing the two-disc set VH1 Storytellers/Greatest Hits.

A new album, Don’t Mind If I Do, appeared in 1999, reaching 64 on the U.K. charts; it did not receive an American release. Culture Club next celebrated their 20th Anniversary with a 2002 concert at Royal Albert Hall.

Culture Club reunited in 2014 for a tour and the band also began work on a new album with producer Youth. The group scheduled the release of an album called Tribes in 2015, but the record never materialized. Instead, the recordings provided the foundation for Life, the 2018 album that marked Culture Club’s first new album in nearly 20 years. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

Connect with Culture Club:

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LIVE REVIEW: Culture Club with Berlin – RAC Arena Perth – September 5th 2023

6 September 2023 The Rockpit

Last time Culture Club was in Perth Boy George took to social media to advise us to (good naturedly I’m sure) stick to reviewing Iron Maiden concerts. Well they’re back tonight at the RAC Arena in Perth to kick off their Australian Tour after wowing America in the company of tonight’s opening act Berlin. And so Round Two begins… It may be a wet night in Perth but it’s warm inside the Arena as a predominantly female crowd of a certain age gather to welcome them back and relive The Hits … and more…

Berlin are a great addition to the bill and a great opening act for tonight hailing from that time in the 80’s where music was such a part of life and bands like Berlin defied genre labeling that is so common these days. Their mix of edgy Pop, Rock and Electronica has aged rather well and Terri Nunn has lost none of her power either as a performer or a vocalist. The band look happy to be here despite the rain and treat us to a set without any filler. Sure we’d have loved that headline tour that almost eventuated a while back but in a nine song set they pack so much in.

All the classics are included of course, and Terri gets the crowd on side from the off letting us know how friendly us Aussies are, even belting out a rocking cover of AC/DC’s ‘Highway to Hell’ to put the icing on the cake. It’s a set that sees Terri come out into the crowd resplendent in her red outfit, and it goes down a storm. Of  course whilst ‘Take My Breath Away’ might be the song everyone wants to hear it’s great to see the crowd singing along to the likes of ‘No More Words’, ‘Animal’ and of course closer ‘Sex’ (I’m a…)’ and with a band as tight as this they are tonight the rest of Australia just better get there early!

And then it’s time for Culture Club…

Last time around back in pre-Covid 2017 we were treated to The Stones’ ‘Can’t Always Get What You Want’ mid set, and tonight opens with a rather cool take on an even more revered Stones song ‘Sympathy For the Devil’. As the band takes to the stage on a rather nicely lit set full of the musicians and backing singers and a wonderfully unobtrusive light show that make up Culture Club 2023, the crowd is more than ready to roll back the years. It’s a great way to open the set and appreciated by the impressive crowd. Boy George looks comfortable in his quirky oversized designer jacket and tall red hat (what does one call such a hat?) and is charming from the off.

We’re treated to a few oldies that sound comfortable in their new arrangements with plenty of funk and sax in the mix. ‘It’s A Miracle’ and ‘I’ll Tumble 4 Ya’ get the crowd to their feet and despite a few early bass issues which result in a short interlude where we are threatened with jokes, we get an impromptu acapella scat by the man in the hat of what might just turn out to be a new song.

There’s an introduction to two members of the band with a Voice connection, one from home and one from the UK who do a great job throughout taking harmonies and even duets with Boy on ‘Melodrama’, which sounds huge tonight and is a real highlight. We’re asked if we like Reggae, of course we like Reggae,! We all know it’s a huge part of the Culture Club sound but tonight reveals all of the facets of the band’s make-up from Pop and Soul to even a little soft rock at times.

There’s a good few slower numbers in the first part of the set that defies the Pop image of the 80’s and shows a real eclecticism. Boy George may be 62 but the cover of the immortal Bread classic ‘Everything I Own’ sees him in a new light, it’s a lovely arrangement and George films himself from the stage (I initially thought he had his camera out to take a call!) . So whilst ‘Do You Really Want to Hurt Me’ which comes early has a few more on their feet it’s the slower treatment starting with just voice and its slower and moodier approach that really elevates the song. It’s moments like that with the crowd finishing the song.

‘Angel of Mercy’ is another worth waiting for and a song only played around 20 times before tonight – it’s got a wonderful 60’s film soundtrack vibe and a wonderful sax break. ‘Kiss Across the Ocean’ leads to the first of the band introductions before George asks if there are any mums in tonight, before ‘That’s The Way (I’m Only Trying to Help You)’ really hit the spot. Of course next we’re asked if there are any Dads in the crowd tonight? And it’s time to really ramp things up as ‘Church of the Poison Mind’ gets everyone to their feet. Let the real dancing begin! It’s a stomper, with the whole arena seemingly clapping and singing along.

The main set closes with two fan favourites ‘Time’ which sees the crowd almost jump out of their seats with joy, and an impressive rendition of ‘Miss Me Blind’ which have gone down a storm in the U.S.

The encores of course take it to another level entirely. As a huge fan of all things 70’s Glam it’s great to see the band come out and play ‘Get It On’ by T-Rex (No not ‘Bang a Gong’ that was the censored U.S. title) though I was a little disappointed not to hear their version of Bowie’s ‘Starman’. And how could they close? Surely not with the all in dance party of ‘Karma Chameleon’? Well of course it is. And there’s a few thousand more than happy fans dancing everywhere, maybe even dancing all the way home?

For the opening night of the Australian Tour it really has been something to behold with both bands hitting the ground running. If you like good music you could do worse then hop on this tour when it hits town starting with Sydney on Friday.  Well either that or wait for the next time Iron Maiden is in town? George?…

With thanks to Menard PR and TEG Live for the media access

Photos by Hunter Brothers Media

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LIVE REVIEW: Culture Club – Perth, December 9th 2017

Sometimes you just need some nostalgia, and memories of care free days, and for me that’s the sounds of the 80’s and the era of the New Romantics, and synthesisers. So, when this line up […]

Las Vegas ‘Tumbles For’ Boy George & Culture Club at Encore Theater

• February 18, 2023
• Concert Reviews

Pop sensations performed night two of a three night stand at Wynn

Boy George & Culture Club took the stage at the Encore Theater on the Las Vegas on Saturday night (Feb 18th) for the second of a three night stand. Emerging from beneath the stage just after 8:30, George was adorned in trademark hat and a geometrically-patterned jacket, his iconic makeup and beard instantly recognizable.

Culture Club bassist Mikey Craig and Roy Hay were all smiles as they flanked their frontman. Musically, the group was tight and full-sounding. This is thanks in part to the double drummers at the back of the stage, and a wall of three backing singers who each featured throughout the night. Plus, a saxophonist added an extra layer of texture to the live sound.

Culture Club emerged from the subculture of the “New Romantic” scene in the United Kingdom’s nightclubs. They went mainstream by blending elements of club music with many other genres. The breadth of those genres were on full display at the Encore.

From the soulful “Hold Back,” the groovy “I’ll Tumble For Ya,” and the Reggae-inspired “Eyeliner Voodoo,” the crowd went on the journey with Boy George and Co. There were stripped-down moments too, such as “Move Away” and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.” Those moments were the most resounding: the juxtaposition of Boy George’s outlandish party image with heartfelt lyrics engrossed the crowd.

Boy George would deliver an insightful preamble before each number, like a flamboyant sensei preaching to his flock. Indeed, each interaction with the crowd was a blend of camp and earnestness because that’s just who Boy George is.

His expression of himself is not a put-on. That’s the whole point. At one moment on this night, during “Eyeliner Voodoo,” he pulled a young child wearing a Boy George-esque sparkly short—on stage to groove with him. He gave the youngster all his attention while not missing a note.

Of course, the Encore is famously the most intimate headliner room in Vegas. Acts as diverse as Beyoncé, Sara MacLachlan, and Garth Brooks have all felt a certain closeness to their crowd not found anywhere else. The furthest seat is only 75 feet from the stage footlights. On this night, 1,800 people got a rare chance to look Boy George in his mascara-lined eyes.

Each number was accompanied by a video. Some had lyrics, but most used imagery to harken back to the club days and the LGBT roots from which Culture Club sprouted. The band has stayed true to that spirit of acceptance and togetherness Boy George called the night an, “All inclusive party. Feeling left out is just a choice.”

Boy George & Culture Club, which are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their triple Platinum  Colour By Numbers album, perform one final show in Vegas on Sunday (Feb 19th) at the Encore Theatre inside Wynn Las Vegas. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster .

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Matt Bailey

Matt Bailey is a media producer currently located in Washington, DC. He has worked as a writer, producer, and host in a variety of mediums including television news, podcasting, daytime television, and live entertainment. He joined The Music Universe in 2016. Since then, Bailey has traveled across the country to review hundreds of concerts and interview some of music's biggest hitmakers. Bailey truly believes in the unifying power of experiencing live music. To reach him, please email [email protected] .

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Culture Club is one of the most enigmatic and popular bands spawned from the 80s New Romantic movement. With their innovative and bold dress sensibilities and infectiously catchy pop songs the band proved to be immensely popular with the public as well as the press.

Hailing from England, Culture Club consists of frontman/vocalist Boy George, bassist Mikey Craig, guitarist/keyboardist Roy Hay, and drummer Jon Moss. The group were a smashing success in their homeland, but perhaps had an even stronger impact in the United States. The group had 10 singles that made it in to the US Top 40s chart and were considered emblematic of 80s pop in the states. This notion was only crystalized through the incessant exposure they received through MTV. Their video “It’s a Miracle was nominated for two “MTV Video Music Awards”.

The band not only experienced incredible commercial recognition they were highly acclaimed in the critical circles as well . In 1984 the group won Best New Artist at the Grammys, the Brit Award for Best British Group and they picked up Best British Single for “Karma Chameleon”.

Before the formation of Culture Club, Boy George would regularly attend the Blitz Club (a venue frequented by glam rock band Bow Wow Wow). Boy George would sometimes accompany Bow Wow Wow under the moniker Lieutenant Lush. Once this stint ended he formed a band of his own called the Culture Club. The group’s name derived from the idiosyncratic and disparate cultural status of each member. Boy George is an Irish transvestite, Craig is black, Hay is an Anglo-Saxon, and Moss is of Jewish descent. However the band’s diversity proved to be one of their biggest assets. They melded calypso, disco, balladry, reggae and synth-pop into a cohesive and entirely captivating sound. Virgin Records saw the groups potential and became the band’s distributor in the UK while Epic Records handled their album releases in the United States.

“Do You Want to Hurt Me” became the band’s first major hit driving up to the very top of the UK and US charts. It juxtaposed dirge like balladry with uptempo reggae dub and was an undeniably original and accessible piece of music. This hit was soon followed by two additional chart climbing singles “Time (Clock of the Heart) and “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya”. These 3 singles made Culture Club the first group since the Beatles to have 3 Top Ten hits in America from a debut album.

The band followed up their debut with an equally popular sophomore release “Colour by Numbers”. It reached number 1 on the UK charts and Number 2 on the US Charts. The album contained “Karma Chameleon” the group’s biggest hit to date as well as one of the most definitive pop songs of the 80s. The album has been recognized as one of the best albums of the 80s by Rolling Stone magazine and has also been included in the book “10001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die”.

The band saw a decrease in popularity after the release of their 1984 album “Waking Up with the House on Fire”. While this album houses excellent material its commercial and critical success was pale in comparison to the massive impact their first two albums made. Culture Club’s popularity continued to dwindle as the members experienced internal problems within the band and extreme tension place on them from the record label. Their 1986 release “From Luxury to Heartache” proved to be the band’s last album before calling it quits; however, the group did reunite and put out the album “Don’t Mind If I Do” 13 years later. The group has continued to record and tour since this formation, but have done so inconsistently. The band still continues to be a massive influence on up and coming musicians and have inspired highly inventive and likeminded artists such as Antony Hegarty of Antony & The Johnsons.

Live reviews

Back in 2002, Culture Club's Royal Albert Hall performance for the 20th Anniversary Reunion Concert was something really special to experience. Their triple platinum 10 million copy selling second album 'Colour by Numbers' is the album, like most other fans I'm sure, that really got me into their music.

The music is something that I grew up with and loved, with the early 90s pop vibe becoming a popular soundtrack to my life. I had high expectations for the reunion, and was extremely excited to finally get to see them live. When Boy George walked out on stage, I was pleased to see that they had kept the essence of their dress sense and costume, and looked very similar to the pop stars of 20 years ago, if somewhat aged.

The energy that they brought was youthful, and at points it was easy to forget that their glory days had passed. Some of the vocals were a little shaky, but I must say, 'Do you really want to hurt me' was fantastic with the entire venue singing along and getting really involved. The band really encouraged this, holding out microphones and giving us gaps in the melody to fill in.

Everyone at the concert appeared to be thoroughly enjoying the show. After the band initially disbanded, many people felt disappointed that they hadn't seen the infamous act, and now that there is a chance to revisit the 80s and early 90s with their next reunion tour, I really think that it is a once in a lifetime opportunity that probably won't arise again. You may hear negative reviews about their vocals, but I thought that they did remarkably well, and sounded extremely similar to the tracks from yesteryear. The performance was outstanding, and I don't believe that one member of that audience went home disappointed that night.

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Friday 8th July. Au-Rene Theatre, Fort Lauderdale. Culture Club. After cancelling their UK tour 18 months ago when we had tickets for the Brighton show we were excited to see that Boy George and the guys were playing in Fort Lauderdale when me and Mrs W were there.

The Au-Rene is a large theatre in the style of the Royal Opera House or Festival Hall with boxes at the side. It’s an all seater but certainly the people in the front section of the stalls were up dancing for most of the set and its testament to the band they generated enough atmosphere to keep this going for the most part. All seated gigs are always more difficult to get the crowd going but there was no problem here tonight.

Resplendent in the black and white, the tamest of his three suits tonight with matching hats, Boy George enters stage left and we’re straight into ‘Church of the Poison Mind’. What follows is about 90 minutes of 80s pop nostalgia. None of the band look like they’ve aged at all and supported by a great horn section, backing singers and additional guitarist we are treated to all the hits and more.

They’re all there, Victims, Time, Hurt me, Karma Chameleon and The Crying Game. For the last two songs of the encore we leave our seats and rush down to the front for Bowie’s ‘Starman’ and a rocking good version of Bang a Gong (Get in On) with Boy George boogieing all decked out in Rainbow suit. It’s nice to see the voice is still strong and he’s ably supported by Messrs Moss, Hay and Craig.

A top evening and good to see they haven’t become a parody of themselves and can still deliver the goods.

The show was amazing. It was really great seeing Boy George and hearing their classic songs. It did not disappoint. He really connected well with the fans. At one point, a young boy and his mother brought flowers up to the stage and George happily accepted them even though he doesn’t like flowers. I connected with the boy and his mother later and found out that he had been battling a life changing illness and credits Boy George and Culture Club with helping him to cope and go thru treatment. When George found this out after the show, he sent his security to locate the boy and his mother and brought them backstage where I got a chance to talk to them and see Boy George at his best as he greeted them and took pictures and even accepted and had a heart felt letter the boy had written read to him. A very emotional moment. I had the pleasure of going backstage and seeing George before and after the show. He is such genuine performer who absolutely love his fans. If you get the opportunity, you really must go to a show.

Reuben Skipper

The evening began with THE THOMPSON TWINS' Tom Bailey taking WOLF TRAP back into the '80s, to the second (2nd) British music explosion in America ... . Next, the B-52s raised the crowd to a simmering level by appearing in semblances of their '80s costumes and performing their hits. Eventually, WOLF TRAP reached a boiling point when the B-52s played "Love Shack" almost bringing the entire audience to its feet! Afterwards, the "piece de resistance", BOY GEORGE and CULTURE CLUB arrived on stage and had the crowd standing in awe ... . This 1980's, British explosion group competed neck and neck with MADONNA and MICHAEL JACKSON! Furthermore, New York City's "Village" launched a "Boy George for President" campaign after the release of "The War Song". Mr O'Dowd may have gained some weight and lost a little bit of hair, but the voice, humor, and sensitivity of Boy George, 1980's, were still intact! CULTURE CLUB gave WOLF TRAP a night to remember and reminded Us of Our true loves in the 1980's! LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!

80's icons Culture Club have had a career that has been followed equally by success and controversy. With lead singer Boy George being known prolifically as one of outrageous behaviour, this is something that initially drew people to the eccentricity of Culture Club. They also have an incredibly solid discography of alt-pop that is known around the globe so it is no wonder that following George's freedom from incarceration the group would reform.

Performing stronger than ever, all four musicians have a fantastic rapport onstage and clearly enjoy making music together. They have a devout following who have stuck with them throughout their career as well as having amassed new fans for classics such as 'Karma Chameleon' which is sang back in deafening force tonight. The real highlight though is 80s power ballad 'Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?' which is surprisingly balladic and anthemic all at once. A rather unusual formula to crack but if there is anything Culture Club knows well, it is the unusual.

The concert with Thompson Twins, Culture Club and B52s was fun. I like TT but they had technically issues which was unfortunate and stopped the momentum. B52s was amazing. They got the audience going and sang most of their popular songs. Culture Club was my least favorite of the 3. The group I was with all commented that the musicians were great but that it’s sounding more like a Vegas lounge act. They did some songs from other artists that were well done. We noticed MANY people leaving during Culture Club. Boy George made comments about not enough people being there and that they would come back with different artists to fill the arena. The other artists weren’t the problem. They were the best part. I’ve been to several 80’s combination concerts and have loved them. This one would be towards the bottom of my list. Would liked to have heard more from THompson Twins.

The show was GREAT. My sister and I had front row seats and the VIP Meet and Greet. Boy George was so down to earth and just wonderful. The warmth of his hug was like that of and old friend you hadn't seem in a while. I am sure every fan feels a special connection to him, I am not exception. There were many moments throughout the show in which I felt we made eye contact. It was like we were the only two in that stadium. Every wave, wink, smile, or brief comment seemed so personal and directed at me. I know that I was just another face in the crowd, but it was the little things that made me feel special. John Themis, thanks for being patient with my sister and me as we fumbled with the cell phone. You were so kind to stop and take a picture with me. Dee Dee, your waves and smiles really warmed my heart. Culture Club, YOU ROCk.

Your #1 South Georgia Fan (I love y'all)

What a great night!

The Greek is always a special place to see a concert under the stars and this night was no exception.

We expected just to see Culture Club but were treated to an introduction of the band by Caitlyn Jenner who received applause and a standing ovation.

The intro was followed by the first hit of the night "Church of The Poison Mind" and George's own observation that with all the change going on in the world it is a special time.

The evening went on without a hitch, the set a mix of CC classics (all the hits), covers and new songs. The energy was great. Everything blended pretty effortlessly, the band sounded great – complete with backup sings and brass section – with George sounding great. I'm amazed that they powered through the 20-song set.

If you get a chance to catch this tour take it, you will be entertained.

I'm 57 and been to a lot of concerts and even seen Culture Club 25 odd years ago. But last night was AMAZING. The love in the arena for them was AMAZING. When he came on everyone got up and never sat down again. BOY GEORGE was AMAZING and the show was pure delight. He sang and the introductions to songs were fabulous. His songs for Bowie TRex and George Michael were fantastic tributes. My 18 year old daughter bought me surprise tickets and with my Boy George top on that she bought me there I was in heaven. When he did Victims all the phones went on and it looked like stars. The ending was brilliant and they were. Karma Chameleon at the end fantastic. Love Culture Club and Boy George simply glorious. Absolutely fantastic concert. Will definetly hope to see again. Wembley was full of love for a boy from eltham. Boy George I Love You.

I give this concert or may I say an outstanding performance by Boy George and Culture Club an A+.

They started off with a tribute to one of Boy Georges' biggest influences David Bowie. From there is just got better all night. I had a pretty good seat and they interacted with the audience all night long. They played all their hits and a few new ones. I loved the fact they came back for a last encore(one last song) and ended up playing like 4 more songs.I would recommend any lover of 80's music to see them in the USA before they go across the Atlantic to finish the tour. George's voice sounds as good as ever and he is just a great showman. Not to mention they have a great backing entourage.About 15 musicians and singers onstage.Not one singer or musician missed a beat. A great production.

Musiklvr Steve

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Find out more about Culture Club tour dates & tickets 2024-2025

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• Los Angeles (LA) (19)
• London (19)
• New York (NYC) (14)
• SF Bay Area (12)
• Philadelphia (9)

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• Boy George (56)
• The B-52's (34)
• Howard Jones (32)
• The Human League (15)

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The run is set to kick off July 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Published on

Boy George and Culture Club have announced their 2023 tour, The Letting It Go Show, featuring very special guests Howard Jones and BERLIN across all dates.

The prolific band will be performing all the hits, including “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me,” “Karma Chameleon,” and “Church of the Poisoned Mind,” right up to their current releases.

Produced by Live Nation, the 25-city run comes fresh on the heels of Boy George and Culture Club wrapping up their sold-out Vegas shows. The Letting It Go Show kicks off on Thursday, July 13 in West Palm Beach, FL at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, with stops across North America in Atlanta, GA, Nashville, TN, Toronto, ON, Chicago, IL, Austin, TX and more before wrapping up on Saturday, August 20 in Concord, CA at Concord Pavilion.

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Tickets will be available starting with a Citi presale beginning Wednesday, April 19. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, April 21 at 10 AM local time.

Citi is the official card of the Culture Club tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Wednesday, April 19 at 10 AM local time until Thursday, April 20 at 10 PM local time through the Citi Entertainment program.

Visit Boy George and Culture Club’s official website for more information.

The Letting It Go Show Tour Dates: Thu Jul 13 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre Sat Jul 15 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre Sun Jul 16 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place Amphitheatre Tue Jul 18 – Atlanta, GA – Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park Wed Jul 19 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion Thu Jul 20 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater Sat Jul 22 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts Sun Jul 23 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater Tue Jul 25 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center Wed Jul 26 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center Fri Jul 28 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live Sat Jul 29 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater Sun Jul 30 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at the Mann Tue Aug 01 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage Thu Aug 03 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Fri Aug 04 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre Sat Aug 05 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center Tue Aug 08 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre Thu Aug 10 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion Fri Aug 11 – The Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Sat Aug 12 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater Mon Aug 14 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP Fri Aug 18 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre Sat Aug 19 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre Sun Aug 20 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion

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Boy George & Culture Club Set 'The Letting It Go Show' 2023 Tour Dates

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 21 at 10 AM local time.

Music icons Boy George and Culture Club announced their 2023 tour, The Letting It Go Show, featuring very special guests Howard Jones and BERLIN across all dates. The prolific band will be performing all the hits, including "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me," 'Karma Chameleon,' and 'Church of the Poisoned Mind,' right up to their current releases.

Produced by Live Nation, the 25-city run comes fresh on the heels of Boy George and Culture Club wrapping up their sold-out Vegas shows. The Letting It Go Show kicks off on Thursday, July 13 in West Palm Beach , FL at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, with stops across North America in Atlanta, GA, Nashville, TN, Toronto, ON, Chicago, IL, Austin, TX and more before wrapping up on Saturday, August 20 in Concord, CA at Concord Pavilion.

Tickets will be available starting with a Citi presale (details below) beginning Wednesday, April 19. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, April 21 at 10 AM local time here .

Citi is the official card of the Culture Club tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Wednesday, April 19 at 10 AM local time until Thursday, April 20 at 10 PM local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit here .

THE LETTING IT GO SHOW 2023 TOUR DATES:

Thu Jul 13 - West Palm Beach , FL - iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre

Sat Jul 15 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

Sun Jul 16 - Jacksonville, FL - Daily's Place Amphitheatre

Tue Jul 18 - Atlanta, GA - Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park

Wed Jul 19 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion

Thu Jul 20 - Nashville, TN - Ascend Amphitheater

Sat Jul 22 - Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

Sun Jul 23 - Wantagh, NY - Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theatre

Tue Jul 25 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center

Wed Jul 26 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center

Fri Jul 28 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live

Sat Jul 29 - Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake Amphitheater

Sun Jul 30 - Philadelphia, PA - TD Pavilion at the Mann

Tue Aug 01 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage

Thu Aug 03 - Tinley Park, IL - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

Fri Aug 04 - Clarkston, MI - Pine Knob Music Theatre

Sat Aug 05 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center

Tue Aug 08 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre

Thu Aug 10 - Dallas, TX - Dos Equis Pavilion

Fri Aug 11 - The Woodlands, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Sat Aug 12 - Austin, TX - Germania Insurance Amphitheater

Mon Aug 14 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP

Fri Aug 18 - Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre

Sat Aug 19 - San Diego, CA - North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

Sun Aug 20 - Concord, CA - Concord Pavilion

About Culture Club

Few new wave groups were as popular as Culture Club. During the early '80s, the group racked up seven straight Top Ten hits in the U.K. and six Top Ten singles in the U.S. with their light, infectious pop-soul. Though their music was radio-ready, what brought the band stardom was Boy George , the group's charismatic, cross-dressing lead singer. George dressed in flamboyant dresses and wore heavy makeup, creating a disarmingly androgynous appearance that created a sensation on early MTV.

George also had a biting wit and frequently came up with cutting quips that won Culture Club heavy media exposure in both America and Britain.

By the time Culture Club's second album Colour by Numbers was released in the fall of 1983, the band was the most popular pop/rock group in America and England. "Karma Chameleon" became a number one hit on both sides of the Atlantic, while the album reached number one in the U.K. and number two in the U.S.

Throughout 1984, the group racked up hits, with "It's a Miracle" and "Miss Me Blind" reaching the Top Ten. In the fall, the group returned with its third album, Waking Up with the House on Fire. While "The War Song" reached number two in the U.K., the album was a disappointment in America, stalling at platinum; its predecessor went quadruple platinum.

Following a brief tour in February, Culture Club went on hiatus for 1985, with Craig, Moss, and Hay pursuing extracurricular musical projects in the interim. Though their comeback single, "Move Away," became a hit in April, its accompanying album From Luxury to Heartache stayed on the charts for only a few months.

George confirmed the group's disbandment in the spring of 1987, and he began a solo career later that year. While his solo career produced several dance hits in Europe, he didn't land an American hit until 1992, when his cover of Dave Berry 's "The Crying Game" was featured in the Academy Award-nominated film of the same name. In 1995, George published his autobiography, Take It Like a Man. Culture Club reunited in 1998, issuing the two-disc set VH1 Storytellers/Greatest Hits.

A new album, Don't Mind If I Do, appeared in 1999, reaching 64 on the U.K. charts; it did not receive an American release. Culture Club next celebrated their 20th Anniversary with a 2002 concert at Royal Albert Hall.

Culture Club reunited in 2014 for a tour and the band also began work on a new album with producer Youth. The group scheduled the release of an album called Tribes in 2015, but the record never materialized. Instead, the recordings provided the foundation for Life, the 2018 album that marked Culture Club's first new album in nearly 20 years. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi.

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Boy George and Culture Club to headline Summer tour

(April 18, 2023) Today, music icons Boy George and Culture Club announced their 2023 tour, The Letting It Go Show, featuring very special guests Howard Jones and BERLIN across all dates. The prolific band will be performing all the hits, including “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me,” ‘Karma Chameleon,’ and ‘Church of the Poisoned Mind,’ right up to their current releases.

Produced by Live Nation, the 25-city run comes fresh on the heels of Boy George and Culture Club wrapping up their sold-out Vegas shows. The Letting It Go Show kicks off on Thursday, July 13 in West Palm Beach, FL at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, with stops across North America in Atlanta, GA, Nashville, TN, Toronto, ON, Chicago, IL, Austin, TX and more before wrapping up on Saturday, August 20 in Concord, CA at Concord Pavilion.

TICKETS: Tickets will be available starting with a Citi presale (details below) beginning Wednesday, April 19. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, April 21 at 10 AM local time at livenation.com.

PRESALE: Citi is the official card of the Culture Club tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Wednesday, April 19 at 10 AM local time until Thursday, April 20 at 10 PM local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com .

THE LETTING IT GO SHOW 2023 TOUR DATES:

Thu Jul 13 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre Sat Jul 15 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre Sun Jul 16 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily's Place Amphitheatre Tue Jul 18 – Atlanta, GA – Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park Wed Jul 19 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion Thu Jul 20 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater Sat Jul 22 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts Sun Jul 23 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theatre Tue Jul 25 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center Wed Jul 26 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center Fri Jul 28 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live Sat Jul 29 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater Sun Jul 30 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at the Mann Tue Aug 01 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage Thu Aug 03 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Fri Aug 04 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre Sat Aug 05 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center Tue Aug 08 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre Thu Aug 10 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion Fri Aug 11 – The Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Sat Aug 12 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater Mon Aug 14 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP Fri Aug 18 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre Sat Aug 19 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre Sun Aug 20 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion

Connect with Culture Club:

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February 12, 2024

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At Tampa concert, Madonna reminds us why she’s the queen

• Maggie Duffy Times staff

TAMPA — She kept us waiting for hours in Amalie Arena.

But once Madonna took the stage a full two hours past the scheduled start of the 8:30 p.m. show, that didn’t matter. For the next two hours, the Queen of Pop showed us why she owns the title, and the multi-generational crowd gave back just as much energy.

DJ Mary Mac 5 Star set the vibe with a lively set. Then Bob the Drag Queen, dressed up like Marie Antoinette, got the crowd even more hyped as he introduced Madonna.

The singer’s Celebration Tour includes hits from the past four decades — the entirety of Madonna’s career — and features a troupe of dancers surrounding Madonna and working the stage, which had a long runway and elements suspended from the ceiling. Screens flashed video montages of photographs, artwork, scenes of New York City.

The tour was postponed last summer after Madonna suffered a severe bacterial infection that led to her being in a medically-induced coma for 48 hours . It’s pretty impressive that she’s bounced back relatively quickly.

After performing “Nothing Else Matters” — a song about how having children changed her life — alone on the stage, she was joined by dancers dressed as early 1980s punks for “Everybody” and “Into the Groove.”

Next, Madge grabbed an electric guitar and took us back to the iconic New York City punk club CBGB, where she first performed “Burning Up.”

Then she addressed the audience, saying that the show was the story of her life and she wanted us to “feel all the feels.”

“And really, Tampa, I’m only here every 40 years, so you should appreciate it,” she said, referring to the fact that she’s only performed here once before, in 1985.

She was accompanied by a person wearing a blank face mask throughout the show, who represented a younger version of herself that has stuck with her through the years. She gave herself a hug and reminded us to not forget where we came from.

“This isn’t a pop show, it’s more of a retrospective,” she said. “It’s performance art.”

Indeed. During “Open Your Heart,” there were nods to the memorable music video featuring a peepshow, and “Holiday” took us to a New York City nightclub, where the party reached a dizzying height, then took a heartbreaking turn as dancers started to fall to the ground. The refrain “Holiday” repeated as a haunting echo.

This led to a segment honoring those who were lost to AIDS, accompanied by a montage of their photographs while she performed “Live to Tell.” It began with a photo of former Tampa Bay resident Martin Burgoyne .

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The segment culminated with an emotional “Like a Prayer,” with dancers’ bodies morphing into poses of Jesus Christ during crucifixion and other feats of physicality. There was a nod to Prince — who had played guitar on the original track — with a guitarist wearing a purple-patterned suit and a sample of the spoken intro of “Let’s Go Crazy.”

Madonna has always been a strong and vocal advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, and this concert was a big kiss to it. Ballroom culture was celebrated in a joyful segment during “Vogue,” which featured her daughter Estere as the DJ. Dancers walked the runway

to be judged by Madonna and guest Monét X Change.

It wouldn’t be Madonna if there wasn’t a steamy sexual element, and that came with sensual choreography on “Erotica,” “Justify My Love” and “Hung Up,” then turned almost remorseful with “Bad Girl,” on which her daughter Mercy played the piano.

Things took a tender turn with “Mother and Father,” which she dedicated to her mother, who died when she was very young. A photo of her was on a screen, as was the photo of her adopted son David’s mother, who died in childbirth. David also accompanied on guitar.

Among her many costume changes, Madonna went Western chic and played “Express Yourself” on her guitar, which she slung over her back for “La Isla Bonita.” She donned a silver bodysuit and long pink wig as she flew over the stage in a square for “Ray of Light.”

A dedication to Michael Jackson came with a “Billie Jean” / “Like a Virgin” mashup, with dancers dressed like the duo silhouetted on a screen.

Madonna has dealt with the pressures of celebrity’s obsession with youth, which is alluded to with sound bites of her saying “To age is a sin” and “The most controversial thing I’ve ever done is to stick around.” People may expect her, at age 65, to act or dress a certain way. But instead, she reminds us what a trailblazer she is during “B---- I’m Madonna,” with dancers dressed in her most iconic looks through the years.

Whatever you do, don’t expect Madonna to stop.

Setlist for Madonna’s Tampa show

It’s a Celebration (Bob the Drag Queen intro)

Nothing Really Matters

Into the Groove

Open Your Heart

Live to Tell

Like a Prayer

Living for Love

Justify My Love

Human Nature

Crazy for You

The Beast Within

Die Another Day

Don’t Tell Me

Mother and Father

Express Yourself

La Isla Bonita

Don’t Cry for Me Argentina

Bedtime Story

Ray of Light

Billie Jean / Like a Virgin

B---- I’m Madonna

Celebration (outro)

Maggie Duffy is an art and dining reporter, covering Tampa Bay’s arts scene and the next new place to eat. Reach her at [email protected].

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Country musician Kane Brown to headline ‘The Full Ride Tour’ on April 13 at Memorial Stadium

Country musicians Kane Brown, Jon Pardi, Jessi Murph and Clayton Anderson will make the first stop in “The Full Ride Tour” college concert series at 5:30 p.m. April 13 at Memorial Stadium.  

Created in collaboration by the hospitality company On Location and Doussan Music Group , t he tour curates concert experiences for each college community, while finding ways to support the university, according to “The Full Ride Tour” press release. On Location President Paul Caine was a graduate from the IU class of 1986 and established the Caine Family Scholarship fund for Media School students.  

“In launching ‘The Full Ride Tour,’ we will bring an elevated concert experience to schools across the nation,” Caine said. “In addition to the incredible artists who will perform at some of the most iconic venues, each event will be a special experience tailored to its locale as we incorporate and celebrate the local campus culture, atmosphere, and personality.”  

While at IU, “The Full Ride Tour” will partner with the student-led charitable organization Students–Helping–Students. Future tour dates and universities will be announced, according to the press release.  

The headlining artist, Kane Brown , first rose to popularity after the release of his self-titled debut album in 2016, which earned the musician two of the most streamed country songs of all time – “Heaven” and “What Ifs.” Brown’s sophomore album, “Experiment,” hit number one on the Billboard Top 200 all-genre list. Brown has been nominated for 15 different Academy of Country Music Awards between 2016 and 2023, securing Video of the Year in 2020 for “Worldwide Beautiful” and the ACM International Award in 2023.  

“The Full Ride Tour” will also feature performances by ACM and Country Music Association award-winning singer songwriter Jon Pardi, known for songs “Heartache on the Dancefloor” and “Head Over Boots.” In an email, Pardi shared his excitement for The Full Ride Tour’s opening night.    

“I’ve been really looking forward to coming to the IU campus for ‘The Full Ride Tour,’ to get to play for the crowd of fans there, and to get to do it with a great line up that they have planned, is really fun!” Pardi said. “Plus, Kane and I are friends, so who knows what other surprises may be in store.”  

Brown and Pardi will be accompanied by fellow country musicians Jessi Murph and Clayton Anderson.  

Tickets start at $19.50 for general admission with several different packages available for purchase on “The Full Ride Tour” website .  

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10 takeaways from Beyoncé's new album, 'Cowboy Carter'

Sidney Madden

Sheldon Pearce

Cowboy Carter is the hotly anticipated follow-up to to Beyoncé's 2022 album, Renaissance . Blair Caldwell/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Cowboy Carter is the hotly anticipated follow-up to to Beyoncé's 2022 album, Renaissance .

How long have fans been speculating over the details of Beyoncé 's new album? It depends when you start counting: Some began buzzing over it the second her previous record, the dance-centric Renaissance , was released in 2022 and touted as "act one" of a trilogy. But the chatter has been especially fervent in the past two months, as singles, visuals and other teases popped up during the Grammys, Super Bowl and on the artist's own social media. The Beyhive's busiest bees analyzed clues that pointed toward a country music-inspired sound; they dissected the history of that genre, and how Black musicians have often been written out of it.

After months of anticipation, Cowboy Carter has finally arrived. Is it a country album? In many ways, yes — but it's also a sprawling work filled with disparate influences and references, while remaining a Beyoncé album at its heart. Two NPR Music staffers, reporter Sidney Madden and editor Sheldon Pearce , have been listening since the stroke of midnight. They come to you now with the 10 most important things to know about exactly what Cowboy Carter is, and is not.

Beyoncé's new album is inspired by backlash to her entering the country music genre

1. It's a sprawling Western epic...

Just as Beyoncé's 2022 album, act i: RENAISSANCE , served as a world-building homage to the unsung Black queer youth who created house music, Cowboy Carter continues the lesson plan. In a statement soon after the album's worldwide release, the artist's Parkwood Entertainment shared that each song on the 27-track project is its own version of a reimagined Western film: "She took inspiration from films like Five Fingers for Marseilles , Urban Cowboy , The Hateful Eight , Space Cowboys , The Harder They Fall and Killers of the Flower Moon , often having the films playing on a screen during the recording process."

Each track, whether an interlude, collaboration or poignant solo, rides out like a full-length film full of scenic grandeur, character and conflicts that any Chitlin' Circuit aficionado or spaghetti Western cinephile can obsess over. As a whole, Cowboy Carter serves as a well of discovery, full of samples, sonic Easter eggs, Knowles family callbacks and, most importantly, an appreciation for pioneers in the country world.

2. ... with a searing image of its titular central character.

In the cowboy, Beyoncé finds her ideal figure of the American West and South. She cites the rodeo as the first place where anyone who loved country music and culture could gather and mingle and feel welcome. It's an image that runs counter to the experience that inspired the album: performing her song "Daddy Lessons" at the CMA Awards in 2016, where she has said she "did not feel welcomed ... and it was very clear that I wasn't." The Cowboy Carter character exists in conversation with the history of Black cowboys, the loaded meaning behind the term and its function in the American imagination.

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3. It's a country album...

There are plenty of categorically country sounds on Cowboy Carter . String instruments are its sonic heartbeat, and the do-si-do of the slide guitar on "DESERT EAGLE" and "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" feel perfectly matched with Bey's feathery vocals. The jovial wiggle of the accordions on "RIIVERDANCE" tip a hat to zydeco music and the artist's Creole heritage. "PROTECTOR" (featuring Beyoncé's youngest daughter, Rumi) is anchored by acoustic guitar. "SWEET HONEY BUCKIIN' " interpolates "I Fall to Pieces," the shuffling standard made famous by Patsy Cline . Compared to Bey's past work in an R&B world full of glitz and glamor, many moments on the album, even with their layered arrangements, feel like intimate jam sessions straight out of a Nashville writing camp.

4. ... and it's also not.

Across the track list, elements of hip-hop, bluegrass and Chicano rock, with pop, rock, Jersey club music and operatic runs. "YA YA" conjures the charisma of Tina Turner and Chuck Berry , while winking in the direction of Nancy Sinatra and The Beach Boys . "BODYGUARD" is a breezy surf-rock romp with Latin percussion and a little whiskey on its breath. "AMEN" rings to the rafters in true gospel splendor. "SWEET HONEY BUCKIIN' " stacks genre upon genre and yet never overwhelms, instead connecting the dots between them with dusty horse gallops. The production credits stretch far beyond the scope of country stalwarts, making the album a treasure hunt for fans and issuing a challenge to the ways country music has come to be defined.

5. It's got country and Americana icons to set the tone...

Voices from country lore appear throughout the track list, signposts for the album's deconstructions of genre. The outlaw country pioneer Willie Nelson , who once bucked the Nashville sound himself, stands in as the host of KNTRY Radio Texas, Beyoncé's fictional pirate station. Dolly Parton draws a line from Becky with the good hair to Jolene, and turns up again before "TYRANT," encouraging Beyoncé to light up a juke joint. In a prelude to one of the album's most adventurous cuts, "SPAGHETTII," Linda Martell, an undersung, trailblazing Black country star of the '70s, lays out a sort of mission statement: "Genres are a funny little concept, aren't they? Yes, they are. In theory, they have a simple definition that's easy to understand. But in practice, well, some may feel confined."

6. ... and it's flipping some old tropes.

There are covers of country classics here that stand out for how stealthily they're reimagined. Parton's 1973 hit "Jolene" shows up early in the album, but Beyoncé adds her own sauce to flip its storied narrative. A vigilant Bey (flip-flopping between being upset and unbothered) clocks the "bird" chirping round her man; unlike Dolly, who responds to a similar threat with a plea for mercy, she puts her rival on notice: " I'm warnin' you, woman, find you your own man / Jolene, I know I'm a queen, Jolene / I'm still a Creole banjee bitch from Louisianne ." This twist renegotiates the common push and pull of rolling-stone / damsel-in-distress infidelity that's historically been a hallmark in country standards, and has only recently started to shift (see also: Carrie Underwood 's "Before He Cheats").

Jay-Z and Beyoncé's blank space

7. It gives flowers to unsung pioneers.

When Linda Martell shows up in the opening moments of "SPAGHETTII" to pose her question about genres, the slick rhetorical framing cuts to the main conceit of Cowboy Carter and centers Martell herself as a case in point. As a pioneer in the country space, Martell made history with her 1970 album, Color Me Country , and was the first Black woman to perform on the storied Grand Ole Opry. But because of the racist aggression she endured when moving from pop to country, Martell soon left the business. Now, at 82 years old, Martell's getting her due. Her voice is immortalized on both "SPAGHETTII" and "THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW," both tracks that play hopscotch with a range of genres. "I am proud that Beyoncé is exploring her country music roots," the veteran posted on Instagram . "What she is doing is beautiful, and I'm honored to be a part of it. It's Beyoncé, after all!"

8. It shines a light on the stars of country's new age.

A recent study tracking country music programming from 2000 through 2020 revealed that only 29% of country songs played on format radio were by women artists, and of that 29%, 0.01% were Black women. And so along with honoring pioneers, Cowboy Carter platforms new stars in the field who are still working their way through its entrenched gatekeeping and redlining.

Rhiannon Giddens strums her banjo on the album's lead single, "TEXAS HOLD 'EM." Virginia's Shaboozey, whose 2022 release, Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die , offered songs for a post-"Old Town Road" country-rap world, cuts through two tracks with his unforgettable tone. "BLACKBIIRD" features the vocals of four Black women — Tanner Adell , Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts. This soulful cover of The Beatles ' classic about Black women's plights and resilience during the American Civil Rights movement puts its subjects in a spotlight that country radio rarely does, bringing home the reality that opportunities for artists like these have scarcely grown in the years since Martell broke ground.

9. It saddles up over the pop-country middle ground.

On Cowboy Carter , Beyoncé is a pop star actively in conversation with the idea of country music, and traversing the distance between those genres seems to have made her consider the existing relationship between them. In two moments on the album, she enlists singers who have been blurring that binary for quite some time: Miley Cyrus and Post Malone . Miley, of course, is the daughter of "Achy Breaky Heart" sensation Billy Ray Cyrus , and in her own pursuit of a pop identity, fiddled with Mike WiLL trap, Flaming Lips psychedelia, glam rock and country pop before settling on the centering sounds of last year's Endless Summer Vacation , which earned her a record of the year Grammy for "Flowers." For his part, Post broke out as a watercolor trap rockstar and has since shifted toward a sound more in line with his Texas roots. Both seem to resonate with the ambiguity Bey sees running through the music.

10. There's more beneath the rhinestone jewel case.

Beyond the many featured guests, other behind-the-scenes contributors help tell the story. The-Dream , Pharrell , No I.D., Raphael Saadiq , Ryan Tedder, Ryan Beatty and Swizz Beatz all helped produce the record. It also boasts an incredibly accomplished cast of supporting players: Pulitzer-winning folk revivalist Giddens , Grammy-winning soul man Jon Batiste , session luminary Nile Rodgers, gospel pedal steelist Robert Randolph , blues rocker Gary Clark Jr. , hip-hop banjoist Willie Jones and the incomparable Stevie Wonder . The incredible variety of names and skills is the secret sauce behind Cowboy Carter 's sprawling vision.

Monkey Man - Official 'Dev Patel On Culture' Featurette

Watch the latest featurette for Monkey Man as Dev Patel breaks down how critical and crucial the culture is within the film that creates the foundation of the core themes.

Oscar nominee Dev Patel (Lion, Slumdog Millionaire) achieves an astonishing, tour-de-force feature directing debut with an action thriller about one man’s quest for vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systemically victimize the poor and powerless.

Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage, Monkey Man stars Patel as Kid, an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash. After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him.

Monkey Man is directed by Dev Patel in his from his original story and his screenplay with Paul Angunawela and John Collee (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World). Monkey Man is produced by Dev Patel, Jomon Thomas (Hotel Mumbai, The Man Who Knew Infinity), Oscar winner Jordan Peele (Nope, Get Out), Win Rosenfeld (Candyman, Hunters series), Ian Cooper (Nope, Us), Basil Iwanyk (John Wick franchise, Sicario films), Erica Lee (John Wick franchise, Silent Night), Christine Haebler (Shut In, Bones of Crows) and Anjay Nagpal (executive producer of Bombshell, Greyhound).

Serving as executive producers are Jonathan Fuhrman, Natalya Pavchinskya, Aaron L. Gilbert, Andria Spring, Alison-Jane Roney and Steven Thibault. Universal Pictures presents a Bron Studios production, a Thunder Road film, a Monkeypaw production, a Minor Realm/S’Ya Concept production, in association with WME Independent and Creative Wealth Media.

Monkey Man is in theaters now.

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$uicideboy$ coming to Frost Bank Center for annual tour

Since the debut of the tour in 2019, it has combined rap and hardcore genres.

Spencer Heath , Digital Journalist

SAN ANTONIO – New Orleans duo $uicideboy$ is coming to the Frost Bank Center in August for their annual Grey Day Tour.

Cousins Ruby da Cherry and $crim are slated to embark on a 41-date tour around the United States.

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Opening acts for the tour include Denzel Curry, Pouya, HAARPER, Shakewell, and Ekkstacy.

Since the debut of the tour in 2019, it has combined rap and hardcore genres while serving as a breeding ground for up-and-coming artists, a news release said.

$uicideboy$, pioneers of SoundCloud rap, formed back in 2014. Since then, the duo has amassed over 24 billion streams. Their raw, unfiltered style has resonated with people experiencing pain.

For the tour, $uicideboy$ partnered with PLUS1 to donate $1 per ticket to people needing mental health assistance.

Tickets for the Grey Day Tour go on sale Friday, April 5, beginning at 10 a.m. on the  Frost Bank Center’s  website or Ticketmaster.

For more ticket information,  click here.

Copyright 2024 by KSAT - All rights reserved.

About the Author

Spencer heath.

Spencer Heath is a Digital Journalist at KSAT. Spencer graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied Radio-Television-Film. He’s worked as a journalist in San Antonio since June of 2022. Outside the newsroom, he enjoys watching movies and spending time with family.