Photos by Randall Vasquez
Reunions and/or farewell tours can be a tricky affair with mixed results. I’ve seen enough to figure two camps; the going through the motions to collect the biggest paycheque, or those who genuinely love what they’ve done/are doing and the shared experience of the live concert. Last night California band The Go-Go’s hit Toronto on their farewell tour, 38 years after the formed.
I was on the too young end of the music buying cusp when their 1981 debut smash album, Beauty and the Beat came out, but I wasn’t too young to not have that album’s radio staples “Our Lips are Sealed” and “We Got The Beat” buried in my brain releasing just that extra serotonin to make things that much happier.
Four of the five original members make up this farewell tour. Vocalist Belinda Carlisle, guitarist Jane Wiedlin, guitarist/keyboardist Charlotte Caffey and drummer Gina Schock along with a touring bassist greeted a packed and enthusiastic Massey Hall and kicked off the sunny California vibe with “Vacation”.
First off, the band looked fantastic. Every one of them looks even better now than they did in their younger days. More importantly, they sounded fantastic too. Most importantly, this was a band clearly overjoyed at playing together for one last round. At no point over the course of an hour and 20 minutes did that joy seem dis-ingenuine.
The Go-Go’s were a pop-punk band long before the term was co-opted into a shudder-inducing wince. The sugary vocals of Belinda over energetic songs that weren’t afraid of showing their pop leanings were way ahead of its time. Last night the ladies delivered a blisteringly tight set that was surprisingly heavy yet the perfect soundtrack for many in the audience to really lose themselves for one night. They even knocked off a couple of smoking punk songs from when they started that never made it to an album, simply because they liked playing them.
While both Jane and Belinda would launch solo careers after the band imploded in the mid-80s, only Belinda’s “Mad About You” would be aired, its Adult Contemporary sheen blasted off with a frantic fury.
It was Belinda’s birthday so she was in high spirits – she still dances the same and I found myself transfixed at times by that dance. Jane ran all over the stage with her guitar like Chuck Berry. Charlotte, the stoic one called the girls badass, and Gina led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to the birthday girl following a hilarious monologue declaring her love for Canada in light of America’s political situation.
It took inviting five audience members to the stage to turn the Hall into a true party. There was a healthy chunk of the floor that sat down after the second song. I just couldn’t sit as I was so giddy watching and trying to dance within the confines of Massey Hall’s seating. The extra dancers got everybody off their seats for the rest of the night. The crowd would be rewarded at the end of the set with glorious runs through “Our Lips are Sealed” and “We Got the Beat”.
Charlotte, Jane and Belinda would first return to the stage for a cover of Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” before the rest of the band returned to finish off an unforgettable evening. First time I’ve grinned from ear to ear for an entire show and the most fun I’ve had at Massey Hall – at times I felt I was 9 again.
Opening up was California band Best Coast who turned out to be the perfect accompaniment to warm up the crowd and initiate the sunny vibes. The duo of Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno swelled to a five piece for the live presentation. This was my second time seeing them in a month and this was easily the better of the two. The bulk of the dozen songs came from 2010’s Crazy for You and last year’s awesome California Nights, the title track the highlight for me showcasing all the members’ psychedelic tendencies and Cosentino’s vocals. The older crowd was appreciative, but was clearly saving their energy for the headliners.
