The Matt Cord Show With Steve Vassalotti

Every Time I See The Cure in Concert, They Are Spectacular

Author Matty Cord

June 27th 10:03 AM

Over the weekend, I went to a place I am quite familiar with as I work there for nearly half the year, but this time I did not go for work, I went to catch a concert with some of my buddies!

On Saturday night, I saw The Cure in concert at the Wells Fargo Center, and I took the show in with Jim Sutcliffe of Live Nation and the Director of Fun and Games for the Philadelphia Phillies, John Brazer.

It was a ton of fun and the show itself was phenomenal – the sounds, the lights, and Robert Smith’s voice were all fantastic!

Speaking of the band’s frontman, his hair may have a little more gray in it these days, but his voice still carries as if it is still 1987.

Reeves Gabrels, whom many of you know from his time with David Bowie and Tin Machine, has played the guitar for The Cure since 2012 and his solos were spot-on on Broad Street.

Plus, Simon Gallup, an original member of the band, was spectacular on the bass.

They saved all the hits for their second encore, including Boys Don’t Cry, Friday I’m In Love, and Just Like Heaven.

The show was actually the first time they played in Philly in seven years and marked the first time they ever played at the Wells Fargo Center.

Altogether, they put on a hell of a show on Saturday, but that hardly surprises me at all considering I have seen them a few times, and they always put on a killer performance.

The first time I saw them was on August 20, 1989, during The Prayer Tour at a sold-out Giants Stadium performing in front of more than 50 thousand fans.

This tour was in support of their Disintegration LP released earlier that year, and they had some amazing openers on that tour, including Shelleyan Orphan, Love and Rockets, and the Pixies.

The Cure played close to three hours that night with just over 26 songs played and opening with Plainsong and closing with Killing An Arab.

I’ll post the tour poster from that show down below!

The Cure Tour Poster from 1989 show at Giants Stadium.

The second time I saw them live was right here in Philly at the Spectrum on May 17, 1992, on “The Wish Tour.”

I actually broadcasted it live on WMMR from the press box, and a band called Cranes were the openers.

I even have my original backstage pass from that show still!

Matt Cord’s original backstage pass from The Cure’s 1992 tour.

It is crazy that I can say I have seen them perform in three different decades now, but one thing is for sure, no matter what year The Cure is playing, they are sure to put on a spectacular show!

More from Matt Cord…

Visiting the C&D Canal Bike Trail is a Must Do This Summer

As we all know, Sunday was Father’s Day and I am sure a lot of you guys all got together with your dads and maybe barbecued, enjoyed a nice cold adult beverage or two, and maybe even enjoyed the final round of this year’s U.S. Open, but I did something a little different!

I actually went on a really fun 30-mile bike ride with the girlfriend, my good friend Chris Bozzi, and his 85-year-old dad, Nick!

Can you believe it?

Going on a 30-mile bike ride at the age of 85 years old? It was incredible!

We drove down to Delaware City and rode a beautiful trail called the C&D Canal Bike Trail.

It really is just a gorgeous bike trail that rides along the Delaware Canal and even stretches over multiple states as it starts in Delaware City, Delaware, and ends in Chesapeake City, Maryland.

In total, it stretches 30 miles from one end to the other and back again, and that seems like a lot when you say it out loud, but the trail is so scenic you almost lose track of time and the distance you are going to begin with, to be honest.

Plus, the best part about the trail, especially if you work up an appetite on your ride or walk, is that there is a nice restaurant and bar at the halfway point called Schaefer’s Restaurant & Canal Bar, and you better believe we stopped there for a great lunch on our ride!

The trail was great, the lunch was even better, and you could not have asked for better weather on Sunday, so ultimately it was a great day – so much so that I figured I would share a bunch of photos and a video for you all to enjoy as well!

Take a look at them below!