The Cure Commence 35-Date North American Tour in New Orleans, Unearthing Two Songs not Played Since 1987

Taking the stage in New Orleans, The Cure initiated their North American chapter of the Shows of a Lost World Tour at the Smoothie King Center on Wednesday, May 10. True to form, the band presented a captivating blend of their fresh cuts “Alone” and “Endsong” to bookend the core of their performance.

On this tour, Robert Smith is accompanied by his long-time comrade, bassist Simon Gallup, joined by the band’s skilled ensemble of musicians, including drummer Jason Cooper, keyboardist Roger O’Donnell, and guitarist Reeves Gabrels. Adding an unexpected twist last fall, Smith delighted fans by welcoming back guitarist/keyboardist Perry Bamonte to the lineup.

What truly left fans reeling were the resurrections of two tracks that hadn’t graced The Cure’s concert setlists since 1987. “Six Different Ways,” a standout from the Head on the Door album, had only previously seen the stage during tours from 1985 to 1987. Perhaps even more astonishing was the appearance of “A Thousand Hours,” a deep cut from 1987’s Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me.

The remainder of the setlist was a comforting canvas of The Cure’s familiar tour staples, satisfying those acquainted with their recent performances. The night was a vibrant blend of tracks from The Head on the Door, featuring crowd-pleasers like “A Night Like This” and “Push.” Disintegration also made a strong showing with fan favorites “Fascination Street” and “Pictures of You.“

Seventeen Seconds was well represented too, with “A Forest” and “At Night” making their atmospheric appearances, while tracks from Wish, namely “From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea” and “Doing the Unstuck,” were warmly received. And, of course, the performance wouldn’t have been complete without “Burn” – the iconic track from “The Crow” soundtrack – which has steadily etched its place as a live mainstay in their performances.

The set was also peppered with new songs from the band’s forthcoming new album, such as “A Fragile Thing, “I Can Never Say Goodbye,” and “Nothing is Forever.”

The band rounded off their generous double encore with a trio of their most beloved anthems – “In Between Days,” “Just Like Heaven,” and “Boys Don’t Cry.”

The Cure proved, once again, that their music continues to resonate, drawing in new generations while maintaining a profound connection with long-time devotees…Ticketmaster gouging be damned!

The Shows of a Lost World tour hits Houston on Friday. The riveting performance on Wednesday night in New Orleans served as the launch pad for the 35-date North American Shows of a Lost World tour, which will continue across the breadth of the U.S. and Canada, culminating in a climactic show in Miami on July 1.