The Cure's brand of English mope rock, built on pouty lyrics and
synthesizer-drenched dance rhythms, never went away.  Robert Smith simply
took an extended holiday, reorganized his band and disguised the old
concept as a happy, shiny new sensation.  Smith and Co. proved the
vitality of the practiced pop strategy Thursday in front of an
enthusiastic USF Sun Dome crowd of 3975.  Only a few fans dragged out the
old frilly vampire tuxedos and Morticia Adams dresses.  The cure, sure,
still craft their sound from an ever pulsating blend of pseudo-spooky goth
music and rock rooted in late '70s new wave.  Every once in a while,
though, that dense, vibrating wall of hazy guitars and keyboards slides
back to reveal a surge of bouncy pop.  That special effect livened 'Just
Like Heaven,' 'Friday I'm in Love,' 'In Between Days' and a few other
songs.  Smith, in an oversized Tampa Bay Lightning jersey, black jeans,
battered high tops and the usual stay-puff hairdo, turned in his familiar
wail on songs of emotional torment, doomed romance and alienation.  But
this tour is designed to bolster sales of the recently released "Wild Mood
Swings," from it's playful title to songs a fairly sunshiny alternative to
the old Cure gloom.  Smith's newfangled lineup, with longtime bandmate
Simon Gallup on bass and in a skirt, offered alternately happy and
melancholy readings of new tunes 'Want,'  'Club America,'  'Jupiter
Crash,'  'Strange Attraction,'  'Mint Car,'  'Treasure,'  and 'Gone.' 
Also generating sing-alongs and trance dancing from Cure fans were
favorites 'Fascination Street,'  'Lets Go To Bed,' and 'Disintegration'.

To be honest, Cure frontman Robert Smith cuts a pretty unimpressive figure
onstage. Slightly chubby and wearing a white hockey jersey, he stepped 
onstage Thursday night at the University of South Florida Sun Dome like a 
man with a lot on his mind. For most of their two-hour-plus set, he barely
moved from his spot at centerstage, setting an example his bandmates followed
sticking to their stations onstage like there was Krazy Glue brushed on the 
bottom of their Doc Martens. So How did this guy with a faceful of white
makeup and an ungainly shock of black hair keep a devoted crowd of 3,965 on
their feet for most of the night? To paraphrase a recent political campaign:
It's the songs, stupid. Delivered with expert precision and an offhand cool,
Cure hits like Show Me and Mint Car came to impressive life in concert - 
filled with the powerful mix of new-wave tunefulness and punk-tinged rock
aggression that has become a band staple. Even the Sun Dome's dreadful
acoustics couldn't totally mute the power of the band, anchored by longtime
bassist Simon Gallup and new drummer-keyboardist Lol Tolhurst. Whipping
through textured tunes like the new wave classic Let's go to Bed and the
slightly funky Round and Round and Round, the band offered a seamless sound
befitting a group that's about to celebrate its 20th anniversary. To bad
their stage presence couldn't match the material's power. Instead, they 
seemed to let the sprawling stage set - with a backdrop of twisted metal 
sculpture, Christmas tree lights and flowing drapes - and a massive light
show provide the onstage energy. In truth, it wasn't until the first of
two encores that Smith and Co. finally showed signs of life: The tousle-
haired frontman stalked across the stage to wave at fans while the band
kicked their signature hit, Why Can't I be You? ( the group got loose,
sneaking a snippet of Spinal Tap's Tonight We're Gonna Rock You into the 
song). It's a side of the group that fans should have seen earlier -
especially considering the band's 45-minute delay before starting the show.
Known for his downcast rockers, Smith has bucked his image in recent years
with a few upbeat hits. We can only hope he brings that new vibe to the 
concert stage soon - showing fans he can entertain them just as well as he
can rock them.