OMD – Commodore Ballroom – April 5, 2013
The sold out Commodore Ballroom was packed with a wide cross section of demographics as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) returned to Vancouver. Like many in attendance I’m old enough to remember their original heyday in the 80s and 90s, lead singer Andy McCluskey sounded every bit as good, as did co-lead Paul Humpheys, and at 53 they still had the charisma and energy of the 20 year olds singing ‘Enola Gay’ in 1980. He may have jokingly referred to the ‘shit dancing’ he was about to leash upon us, but I’m sure most of us are guilty of equally suspect dance moves once upon a time. However, you can’t fault McCluskey for more than generous enthusiasm when performing his moves onstage as he made the stage his own, dancing and interacting with the front row of the audience throughout the show.
With their new album due for release, April 9th, they incorporated a number of the new tracks into the set, but not forgetting their fan base they didn’t leave behind their biggest hits. The biggest cheers and sing-along was for “If You Leave”, part of the soundtrack to most of our youth, “Enola Gay”, “Forever Live And Die” and “So In Love” also elicited hearty celebration. All the sounds were refreshed and mixed to fit in with the new material, all of which sounded current and retro at the same time. Even though it’s been nearly 40 years since they began, OMD don’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.
The English Electric tour (Dates below) continues down the West Coast wrapping this leg at Coachella Music Festival before returning to the East Coast in the summer.
April 5 – Vancouver, British Columbia, Commodore Ballroom
April 6 – Seattle, Wash., Showbox At The Market
April 7 – Portland, Ore., Wonder Ballroom
April 10 – Salt Lake City, Utah, The Depot
April 12 – San Francisco, Calif., The Regency Ballroom
April 14 – Indio, Calif., Empire Polo Club, “Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival”
April 21 – Indio, Calif., Empire Polo Club, “Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival”