I wasn't a big fan of The Cure. In fact, aside from Love Cats I really, actively disliked everything else I had heard by them. Which, admittedly, wasn't a lot because what I had heard I didn't like, and why delve deep into a band's catalog if I don't like them in the first place?
I started dating Ms. Polly Purebread in the late summer of 1988. We worked at a health food store together and there was something about her that got me all antsy in the pantsy. So I screwed up the gumption to introduce myself. We realized that we had a lot of the same tastes in music; COCTEAU TWINS, Kate Bush, SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES and a lot more. However, (cut to sound effect of car tires screeching and a needle across a record) she told me one of her favorite bands was The Cure. Not necessarily a deal breaker, but...
I didn't let that come between us and we were a happy family for 5.5 years. In fact, for her birthday I bought her a limited edition picture disc version of the latest Cure album 'Disintegration'. She was ecstatic and put it on the turntable immediately.
'Plainsong' was the first track and I was able to ignore it. 'Pictures Of You' was next and I stopped what I was doing and just stared at the stereo. When the song was over I asked her to play that one again, and she graciously obliged. I was in love. Pictures Of You was the song that made me see the light. Ms. Polly finished playing the album (none of the other songs really hit me in the same way) and said "well, if you liked that one song let me play you this" and she proceeded to school me in all things Cure. Turns out I had only heard really bad material by them and not the good stuff. Like the 'Faith' and 'Pornography' albums. I realized that 'Let's Go To Bed' was not typical of their sound and that they were, in fact, much darker and broodier.
Skip ahead a few years and Ms. Polly came home one day with a pair of tickets to see The Cure at the very very large local sports arena. She said that she bought me a ticket but that if I didn't want to go she'd understand and take her friend. I agreed to go and we eagerly awaited the date. It was announced that The Cranes were booked to be the opening band, which was great news. Ms. Polly and I both really enjoyed their album 'Wings of Joy'.
Showtime rolls around and I had never been in our very very large local sports arena. I had attended a few area concerts but tended to not like them that much as the sound was never good and the band always looked like they were half a mile away. Our seats were pretty good, though, and by the time The Cranes were half way through their set the sound had been dialed in and wasn't too bad.
As is usually the case I don't remember much from the show. Luckily for all of us some intrepid taper happened to be there and captured this rather good sounding artifact of the evening. So for your edification, and dedicated to Ms. Polly Purebread and her faith that I would finally come around ot enjoying one of her favorite bands I present to you said audience recording via youtube.
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