Duran Duran has proven without a doubt that as former 80’s rock icons, they still know how to rock their broad fan-base whom is amongst the most loyal die-hard fans in the world. On a Friday night in the first of two sold out shows at The Joint at The Hard Rock Hotel Casino, crowds assembled early on to get into the venue to position themselves for a formidable rock n roll show sans less big special effects or multimedia videos of previous tours. If you could imagine, this was Duran Duran at their best - playing a no frills 2 hour concert which mixed enough new material that proved that they could keep up with the times with a liberal dose of past hits that brought back all the memories.
The opening act, Your Vegas, for your own edification, is NOT a Vegas band but is originally from Leeds (England). Having relocated to NYC, doing a few shows which created major buzz that resulted in a record deal, Your Vegas was in the perfect situation to be able to convert throngs of new fans with their signature sound of soaring anthem driven rock. And that they did. Unleashing a solid set of songs from their new album, A Town and Two Cities, Your Vegas did an admirable and phenomenal job.
As the stage lights went off, the legions of female fans drove the temperature high up in pure anticipation for the past heroes of the early New Wave. Amidst the hysteria that greeted the band as they entered the stage, Frontman and lead singer, Simon Le Bon, Keyboardist, Nick Rhodes, drummer Roger Taylor and bassist, John Taylor proved that their ageless boyish good looks equally paralleled the original sheer talent that never lost its magic.
The band launched a few catchy songs from their new album, "Red Carpet Massacre” that had super producer, Timbaland stamped all over it. In reality, the crowd had a voracious "Hungry Like the Wolf" appetite that finally got satisfied when notable electronic staples ("I Don't Want Your Love" and "All She Wants Is") followed along with fair samplings from their diverse catalog ("Notorious”, "The Wild Boys” and "Skin Trade"). What really set the crowd on fire were the true blue Duran Duran classics such as "The Reflex", "Save a Prayer", "Girls on Film" and the big kahuna of an encore, "Rio."
Energetic, vibrant and timeless, seeing Duran Duran live onstage again flashes back to the days when all their music videos and concert footage dominated both the radio and MTV. Their appeal remains intact as long as they can find ways to rejuvenate and reinventing itself. Teaming up on their new record (Red Carpet Massacre) with Timbaland, Justin Timberlake and Nate "Danjahandz" Hill was a good thing as it freshened up the Duran Duran sound with a more urban and cutting edge feel. Kudos to a masterful band that isn’t afraid to take on new risks… that’s exactly what rock n roll is all about.
