When I heard that the Tubes would be participating in the "Lost Eighties" tour in Denver,CO, I knew that I would once again be roadtrippin' to see Fee and the band.
After the Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras, I had pretty much figured I wouldn't be seeing the band again this year. However, the idea of seeing the Tubes along with Howard Jones, A Flock of Seagulls, Modern English, Missing Persons and Benjamin Orr (formerly of the Cars) was just too much.
Without going into a lot of detail about each performance, I'll just say that A Flock of Seagulls were simply amazing. I have never been fanatical about the band but that just might change. Although their performance was mired by heavy rain and hail (turning the festival into a mini Wood/Mudstock), they mesmerized the crowd with songs that seemed as fresh today as they did 15 years ago.
Howard Jones also managed to avoid seeming like a "relic". I wish the same could be said for Missing Persons, Modern English, and Benjamin Orr. Each set was pleasant but each band was unable to get the large crowd to involved. A pleasant distraction while waiting for the Tubes….
Shortly after 9:00 PM, The Tubes began playing. Starting off with Mondo Bondage, I was impressed with the sound of the band. I don't ever recall the song sounding so good. I was on my feet immediately.
The Tubes followed with Sushi Girl. A good but not great rendition.
Next came the surprise of the evening…Out of the Business!!! I was unaware that the Tubes were playing this song live. I was ecstatic.
After Out of the Business, Fee took a minute to talk to the audience. He mentioned that the Tubes were not only an "eighties" band but a band with a long history that is still being written. He said the Tubes currently had "the number one most unknown album in America" and urged the crowd to pickup a copy of "Genius". After that the band launched into Genius of America
Genius was followed by She's a Beauty. You could tell that most of the crowd had been waiting to hear the Tubes play this song because when it was over, a large portion of the crowd started to leave. To be truthful, I couldn't blame them. Many of them had been there for five or six hours already and had sat through an hour of heavy rain and hail. With that said, I still felt kinda bad for the band as the crowd size dwindled noticeably.
After She's a Beauty, the band played A Matter of Pride and How Can You Live. Fee mentioned that he had recently been at his 25th high school anniversary and that How Can You Live was partially inspired by a woman who once appeared to have it all only to now appear to have only maintained that which is superficial and false.
After How Can You Live, Roger sang Slipped My Disco and Fee returned for Tip of My Tongue. The band wrapped up the abbreviated concert with White Punks and Talk to Ya Later.
So were the Tubes the best band of the festival? Of course.
Last Updated: August 18, 1997
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