The Curiosa Festival
August 29th 2004
Arco Arena, Sacramento California
Download Links:
Setlist:
Lost, Plainsong, Labyrinth, Fascination Street,
From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, High
The End of the World Anniversary, Inbetween Days
Just Like Heaven, Pictures of You, Lullaby
Before Three, Alt.end, Disintegration
One Hundred Years, The Promise
Encore:
Faith, Going Nowhere
Note: The Drowning Man and Charlotte Sometimes were listed for the encore, but not played. :(
Note: The Drowning Man and Charlotte Sometimes were listed for the encore, but not played. :(
From the Sacramento Bee:
Review: Cure gives festival a welcome dose of good rockin'
By Chris Macias -- Bee Pop Music Critic
Curiosa Festival bands such as Mogwai, Interpol, Cursive and the Rapture probably will never come close to selling 1 million records. But a commercial juggernaut wasn't the point of Sunday's six-hour event.
Instead, Curiosa was a chance to discover some of alternative rock's best buzz bands, topped by a knockout set from The Cure.
The venues were Arco Arena's main stage and a "B" stage in the parking lot, where the 100-degree heat tested the functionality of all-black garb. The indoor concourse featured a "4-H" type of marketplace that's typical of alternative-rock festivals (henna tattoos, hair dye, head-shop wares and human rights booths).
But not all was ideal. Sunday's turnout for Curiosa was fairly dismal: 5,000, about one-third of the venue's capacity.
Curiosa still succeeded in bridging the alternative-rock generations. The crowd was balanced between aging hipsters and new-jack goths breaking in their "Creepers" shoes.
Musically, the show mixed progressive and arty sounds with touchstones from the past. The Cure's influence infused the younger bands, especially in the Robert Smith-like howl of Luke Jenner, singer for The Rapture. The Rapture's smart and funky brand of post-punk also referenced Konk, an underground dance band from the 1980s.
Interpol also performed a solid set that contained some Cure-isms, such as the dreamy guitar line in "Slow Hands." The band's mix of deadpan vocal delivery and edgy guitar jangle was further rooted in Joy Division, the long-defunct band that in turn influenced The Cure.
The revelation of Curiosa was ultimately in how powerful and relevant The Cure sounded in its headlining slot. The band might best be enjoyed by the flicker of a candle at 3 a.m., but at concert volume, it was easy to get swept away in The Cure's atmospherics and density.
"From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea," a tune from its 1992 "Wish" album, was a stunning swirl of guitars and keyboard. Its poppier hits, such as "Just Like Heaven" and "In Between Days," rang punchy as ever. "The End of the World," one of The Cure's new songs, also hit much harder live than the recorded version.
Despite the sonic doom and gloom, The Cure's Smith isn't really hopeless. He's actually a hopeless romantic who sings songs titled "Pictures of You" and "Just Like Heaven."
It wouldn't have been surprising if The Cure turned out a sluggish show. Sunday marked the festival's end, a time by which many bands are simply burned out.
Instead, The Cure bade farewell after a month on the road at peak powers.
Too bad The Cure's set ended on a plodding note with "Faith" and "Going Nowhere." For such an otherwise powerful set, this downer of a finale was the most curious part of Curiosa.
Review: Cure gives festival a welcome dose of good rockin'
By Chris Macias -- Bee Pop Music Critic
Curiosa Festival bands such as Mogwai, Interpol, Cursive and the Rapture probably will never come close to selling 1 million records. But a commercial juggernaut wasn't the point of Sunday's six-hour event.
Instead, Curiosa was a chance to discover some of alternative rock's best buzz bands, topped by a knockout set from The Cure.
The venues were Arco Arena's main stage and a "B" stage in the parking lot, where the 100-degree heat tested the functionality of all-black garb. The indoor concourse featured a "4-H" type of marketplace that's typical of alternative-rock festivals (henna tattoos, hair dye, head-shop wares and human rights booths).
But not all was ideal. Sunday's turnout for Curiosa was fairly dismal: 5,000, about one-third of the venue's capacity.
Curiosa still succeeded in bridging the alternative-rock generations. The crowd was balanced between aging hipsters and new-jack goths breaking in their "Creepers" shoes.
Musically, the show mixed progressive and arty sounds with touchstones from the past. The Cure's influence infused the younger bands, especially in the Robert Smith-like howl of Luke Jenner, singer for The Rapture. The Rapture's smart and funky brand of post-punk also referenced Konk, an underground dance band from the 1980s.
Interpol also performed a solid set that contained some Cure-isms, such as the dreamy guitar line in "Slow Hands." The band's mix of deadpan vocal delivery and edgy guitar jangle was further rooted in Joy Division, the long-defunct band that in turn influenced The Cure.
The revelation of Curiosa was ultimately in how powerful and relevant The Cure sounded in its headlining slot. The band might best be enjoyed by the flicker of a candle at 3 a.m., but at concert volume, it was easy to get swept away in The Cure's atmospherics and density.
"From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea," a tune from its 1992 "Wish" album, was a stunning swirl of guitars and keyboard. Its poppier hits, such as "Just Like Heaven" and "In Between Days," rang punchy as ever. "The End of the World," one of The Cure's new songs, also hit much harder live than the recorded version.
Despite the sonic doom and gloom, The Cure's Smith isn't really hopeless. He's actually a hopeless romantic who sings songs titled "Pictures of You" and "Just Like Heaven."
It wouldn't have been surprising if The Cure turned out a sluggish show. Sunday marked the festival's end, a time by which many bands are simply burned out.
Instead, The Cure bade farewell after a month on the road at peak powers.
Too bad The Cure's set ended on a plodding note with "Faith" and "Going Nowhere." For such an otherwise powerful set, this downer of a finale was the most curious part of Curiosa.
