The Cure
On Sunday, June 11, M and I went to see The Cure at Blossom. It was:
- Our first concert since The Magnetic Fields in March.
- Our first time at Blossom since Heart in 2019.
- My first concert with pussygalore66 since Durand Jones and the Indications in 2019.
- My first team seeing The Cure since I went to Curiosa in 2004.
This came about because I texted pussygalore66 to see if she was making her customary June return to the Cleveland area to visit family. She was, and she offered us a pair of tickets for The Cure to prove it. Babysitting was obtained through kind friends, and we joined a large group consisting of pussygalore66's friends and family. The roster included pussygalore66's sister, two of her grad school friends (one of whom, Barbra, who I saw Billy Idol with in 2005) and their spouses, plus Barbara's friend Leslie and her spouse.
Well, we tried to join them, but it took some effort. Due to (apparently) Robert Smith wanting to make tickets cheaper, tickets were not transferable electronically or via paper, so we had to meet the group in the parking lot. First the lady in the phone took us in the back way to Blossom, and I didn't realize it until we were stuck in a massive traffic pile up. It took us 90 minutes to go about four miles because the back way is forced to turn right into an unprotected lane on the main entrance.. This guaranteed that we missed the opener (who multiple people said was good, apologies to "The Twilight Sad"). pussygalore66 went in early to claim our spots on the lawn, and we finally met Barbara and company in line nearly an hour after we were supposed to be there.
For extra fun, all of this happened in the first rain we'd had in more than a month. And you know the saying "it never rains but it pours?" Well, that happened. Even with ponchos and an umbrella, M and I were already pretty wet by the time we walked from our parking spot to the main gate to meet up with everyone. Fortunately, security was pretty lax and we got away with sneaking in all manner of things that were prohibited, like bags that weren't clear and umbrellas that were too large. Pro tip: if the line is long and everybody is miserable, throwing everything you have at the security guy and overwhelming his inclination to check is an option.
Still, we'd read the forecast and were prepared for the rain. We were not prepared for one of the biggest lighting storms that I'd seen in years hitting just as we all met on the lawn at Blossom. The video board advised everybody to seek shelter in a building or a car. We headed for a nearby covered bar to wait out the lightning. This was a good choice, as we later learned that everybody who went to their car was denied reentry, despite the video board suggesting that.
And so we waited. Due to the storm, the bar we were in lost whatever technology drive's the credit card machines, so all these bored mildly intoxicated people were unable to buy more drinks. At one point it stopped raining enough that M and I went in search of a Diet Coke for her, and the rain restarted so hard that it felt like we were under a shower. We dove for cover again.
Finally, the lightning passed and with it most of the rain. We regrouped on the lawn, and Robert Smith and company took the stage. Much like when I saw The Cure in 2004, the set list was heavily waited toward tracks that were not mainstream popular. Such hits as were played didn't come out until the encore, and for basically the first time in my life we bailed out at the end of the main stage to beat the traffic. We didn't want to keep our babysitter waiting all night, and honestly, I don't regret it. In other news, I may be getting old.
Despite the traffic, the storm and the general hassle / poor operations of Blossom, that main set was pretty good. I'd say it was definitely better than 2004, when The Cure looked pale (ok, paler) in comparison to some of the other bands in the line up (particularly Mogwai and the Rapture). This night they seemed energized by the storm and the crowd and brought it. It was a good time all around. Having said that, if I were to chance them for a third time, I'd kind of like to just hear the hits for variety!
- Our first concert since The Magnetic Fields in March.
- Our first time at Blossom since Heart in 2019.
- My first concert with pussygalore66 since Durand Jones and the Indications in 2019.
- My first team seeing The Cure since I went to Curiosa in 2004.
This came about because I texted pussygalore66 to see if she was making her customary June return to the Cleveland area to visit family. She was, and she offered us a pair of tickets for The Cure to prove it. Babysitting was obtained through kind friends, and we joined a large group consisting of pussygalore66's friends and family. The roster included pussygalore66's sister, two of her grad school friends (one of whom, Barbra, who I saw Billy Idol with in 2005) and their spouses, plus Barbara's friend Leslie and her spouse.
Well, we tried to join them, but it took some effort. Due to (apparently) Robert Smith wanting to make tickets cheaper, tickets were not transferable electronically or via paper, so we had to meet the group in the parking lot. First the lady in the phone took us in the back way to Blossom, and I didn't realize it until we were stuck in a massive traffic pile up. It took us 90 minutes to go about four miles because the back way is forced to turn right into an unprotected lane on the main entrance.. This guaranteed that we missed the opener (who multiple people said was good, apologies to "The Twilight Sad"). pussygalore66 went in early to claim our spots on the lawn, and we finally met Barbara and company in line nearly an hour after we were supposed to be there.
For extra fun, all of this happened in the first rain we'd had in more than a month. And you know the saying "it never rains but it pours?" Well, that happened. Even with ponchos and an umbrella, M and I were already pretty wet by the time we walked from our parking spot to the main gate to meet up with everyone. Fortunately, security was pretty lax and we got away with sneaking in all manner of things that were prohibited, like bags that weren't clear and umbrellas that were too large. Pro tip: if the line is long and everybody is miserable, throwing everything you have at the security guy and overwhelming his inclination to check is an option.
Still, we'd read the forecast and were prepared for the rain. We were not prepared for one of the biggest lighting storms that I'd seen in years hitting just as we all met on the lawn at Blossom. The video board advised everybody to seek shelter in a building or a car. We headed for a nearby covered bar to wait out the lightning. This was a good choice, as we later learned that everybody who went to their car was denied reentry, despite the video board suggesting that.
And so we waited. Due to the storm, the bar we were in lost whatever technology drive's the credit card machines, so all these bored mildly intoxicated people were unable to buy more drinks. At one point it stopped raining enough that M and I went in search of a Diet Coke for her, and the rain restarted so hard that it felt like we were under a shower. We dove for cover again.
Finally, the lightning passed and with it most of the rain. We regrouped on the lawn, and Robert Smith and company took the stage. Much like when I saw The Cure in 2004, the set list was heavily waited toward tracks that were not mainstream popular. Such hits as were played didn't come out until the encore, and for basically the first time in my life we bailed out at the end of the main stage to beat the traffic. We didn't want to keep our babysitter waiting all night, and honestly, I don't regret it. In other news, I may be getting old.
Despite the traffic, the storm and the general hassle / poor operations of Blossom, that main set was pretty good. I'd say it was definitely better than 2004, when The Cure looked pale (ok, paler) in comparison to some of the other bands in the line up (particularly Mogwai and the Rapture). This night they seemed energized by the storm and the crowd and brought it. It was a good time all around. Having said that, if I were to chance them for a third time, I'd kind of like to just hear the hits for variety!