In Pursuit of Wholeness

There are some artists that you like and get excited about when you hear in the radio or in a club, but you wouldn’t buy their music.

There are some artists that you like so much that you do buy their music, but you wouldn’t go to their concert.

There are some artists that you like so much that you would go to their concert, even if that meant going to the concert alone.

Then there are the bands for which you cross state lines.

For me, one such band is The Cure.

See, they were my musical first love. I know, I know, I’m a confessed block-head and I still listen to Menudo, but those were childhood loves. The Cure gave me lyrics that echoed in my romantic heart and helped with the heartache of my teenage years. So when I found out they were going to be on tour, and I wouldn’t be here when they came to NY, I decided to not let the opportunity go just because of geography and off I went to Virginia.

What can I say? It was maybe half of what I thought it would be. On the good side, I got to sing along with my favorite songs, finally heard Pictures of You and In between days live, just like I’d imagined when I heard them in their live album, Show. On the bad side…. I expected a rock band. I mean, a rock band: One that would engage the crowd, dance about…. But no. They didn’t really work the crowd and Robert Smith was the only one who spoke -and little at that. He also moved ever so slowly… Was he on something? Or is this how he always is? Since I’d never seen them in any live performance, I had no way to know.

Today, when I mentioned the concert to my juniors, they looked at me and said “Cure who?” And it dawned on me. I’m getting old and Robert Smith’s movements may indicate he’s getting old too.

Still, it was a worthy trip and a good concert. I can finally say that I fulfilled one of my concert dreams. Kind of like Julius Caesar, I went, I saw, I conquered I sang along. And that makes me happy.