Psychedelic Furs front man psyched about show

April Corbin

The Psychedelic Furs perform Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009, at the House of Blues in Las Vegas.

By April Corbin (contact)

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009 | 12:21 p.m.

The majority of attendees at the House of Blues concert Tuesday seemed happy to be there, but none seemed quite as excited as Psychedelic Furs front man Richard Butler.

The 53-year-old lead singer pranced around stage, embracing all of the free-flowing, slightly sporadic dance moves associated with the '80s. On numerous occasions, a smiling Butler sat down on stage and interacted with the audience directly, shaking the hands of the excited fans standing against the railing.

His happiness was so apparent Butler didn't have to express it in words. Other than half a dozen "thank yous" after audience applause, the new wave front man didn't say anything at all. No quirky banter about being in Las Vegas. No asking whether the audience was having a good time or enjoyed the openers, Happy Monday and Amusement Parks on Fire. No plugging of the merch booth.

Instead, the new wave band from London transitioned quickly and easily from one song to the next. Tuesday's concert was all about the music and what it made you feel.

For many, the Psychedelic Furs are best known for the song "Pretty in Pink," which inspired John Hughes' 1986 teen classic film of the same name. Then, the song conjured warm, fuzzy feelings of budding love and Molly Ringwald. More than two decades later, it still manages to create that feelgood atmosphere. In fact, most of the band's music has that affect, and the audience in attendance seemed to know and appreciate the complete Furs catalog, which spans more than a decade. It takes more than a few memorable songs to turn out a sizeable crowd when you haven't created a new album since '91.

The band opted to play "Pretty in Pink" in the middle of their set, rather than closing with it or including it in the encore and opened with "Love My Way," their first U.S. single. Despite doling out their biggest hits fairly early into the set, the Furs managed to keep the audience entranced with their clean performance, consistent sound and Butler's bubbly stage presence. They know better than to reinvent the wheel by trying to spice up their songs for modern audiences. The Furs kept it simple and sounded strikingly similar to recorded versions of their songs.

For that, and for the lack of unnecessary between-song banter, the audience should have been the one saying "thank you."