When one of my best pals from high school said he had a free extra ticket to see Simple Minds in Detroit, I jumped at the chance to (1) hang out with him and (2) finally see a band that was a big part of our high school years. I mean, come on. 1985’s Once Upon a Time is one of the best albums of that decade. Plus, the tracks they played from their new record, Walk Between Worlds, aren’t too shabby either.
They started with “The Signal and the Noise” off that new record and then unloaded two sets’ worth of classic hits and new material including “Up on the Catwalk” (which I hadn’t heard in years), the lively “Promised You a Miracle,” “Midnight Walking,” before ending the first set with a cover of “Dirty Old Town.”
“Theme for Great Cities” opened the second set, and they were cruising by then. The title track off the new record was well-received, as were “Someone Somewhere in the Summertime,” “All the Things She Said,” and “Don’t You (Forget about Me)”.
The encore included “Stand by Love,” “Alive and Kicking,” and “Sanctify Yourself.” It was a fun show, with a happy crowd of Gen X’ers and even younger folks. One woman was in happy tears as we were walking out. “So many feels!” she yelled.
Keep your mind open.
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