June 9, 2023, The Woodlands, TX
June is my birth month. That being said, I was a bit shocked (and happy) whenever my good friend, Patrick Bennett (who co-hosts the Filmsquatch Podcast with me and hosts a number of film festivals in southwest Louisiana), asked me if I’d like to join him for the Duran Duran concert in The Woodlands, Texas, on June 9th. I pulled a few strings, got the day off of work, and prepared for what I hoped would be an excellent show. I’ve always been a fan of Duran Duran and had a glass mirror that featured the band on it that I got way back in 1985 or 1986.
I did a little research online and found out that Bastille and Nile Rodgers & CHIC were opening the show. To be completely honest, I was very unfamiliar with Bastille. I knew only one of the band’s songs, Pompeii, and wondered if others of my age and older would know the group. I had nothing to fear, however, as the group opened the show with a solid, high-energy set that primed the crowd for the second act, the legendary Nile Rodgers & CHIC. For those of you who don’t know, Rodgers could have easily headlined this tour given the fact that he is a multi-winning Grammy artist as a producer, writer, and performer. Not only did he found CHIC, but he’s written and produced songs and albums for artists as varied as David Bowie, Diana Ross, The B-52s, Beyonce, Madonna, INXS, and Duran Duran. His music has also been sampled by artists like the Sugarhill Gang. On top of that, Rodgers has worked on soundtracks for numerous films including Feeling Minnesota and The Flintstones.
Nile Rodgers & CHIC tore through a set loaded with chart-toppers including Modern Love, Good Times, Le Freak, Get Lucky, Material Girl, and I’m Coming Out. The set was bookended by CHIC songs and featured full length performances of songs by other artists that were written and produced by Rodgers and a medley that seemed to run nonstop for about thirty minutes. It was an amazing show and I really wished that their set was longer. I definitely recommend checking out Nile Rodgers & CHIC if you get the chance.
After two great opening acts, Duran Duran was set to take the stage. Four of the band’s five key members during its 80’s heyday were in the show. Founding member and keyboardist Nick Rhodes and drummer Roger Taylor were perched up at the back of the stage while lead singer Simon LeBon and bass player John Taylor roamed the stage throughout the band’s set. Guitar duties were handled by longtime touring guitarist Dominic Brown, in place of Andy Taylor, who has been fighting illness for many years.
The group slid effortlessly between hits, deep cuts for hardcore fans, and covers of Acceptable In The 80s, Super Freak, and White Lines. While the first two songs were incorporated into Girls On Film and Lonely In Your Nightmare, respectively, White Lines was played in its entirety as it was originally released on the band’s Thank You album from 1995.
With large screens behind them and the signature dual big screens on either side of the stage at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, the group gave fans a show filled with sound and dramatic visuals. From black and white video to reserved darker colors and blasts of brightly colored graphics, the band looked and sounded amazing on the stage. I especially enjoyed the homage to classic horror franchises such as the Hammer films during Lonely In Your Nightmare.
LeBon and the rest of the band appeared to be having entirely too much fun performing hits for the crowd. Roger Taylor effortlessly played the drums while John Taylor laid down bass line after bass line, keeping the group on track. Nick Rhodes, arguably the coolest member of the band, flew across the keys with precision and provided a few lighthearted moments for the crowd as well. They played all of their biggest hits including Hungry Like The Wolf, A View To A Kill, The Wild Boys, The Reflex, and, the show closer, Rio. In all, it was a really fun night and I’m glad that I had the opportunity to experience it.
While I am more of a hard rock and metal fan these days, my youth was littered with a number of new wave, pop rock, and other bands. Duran Duran was and still is one of those rare bands that managed to pull me away from bands like KISS, Poison, Metallica, and others, if only for a few moments. I highly recommend checking out Duran Duran on their Future Past tour. It was great.
Thanks for checking out my post. I know that I haven’t been posting as much as I normally do in recent weeks, but I’ve been dealing with a few real world issues. Those issues are slowly resolving, so be on the lookout for more posts soon!
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