Black was back in vogue Saturday night as the Cure returned to
McNichols Arena to show its schtick still works after a four-year hiatus.
        Many fans paid tribute to their goth-rock demi-god by applying
plenty of eyeliner, teasing their hair into Smith's underbrush style and
donning their best black duds.
        Then the singer himself took the stage wearing... an Avalanche jersey.
        Smith has usually been cast as the voice of the depressed and the
disenfranchised.  Throughout the '80s he was the one singing to androgynous
teens who huddled in isolated cliques at the end of the hall in school.
        Avalanche jersey aside, Smith and the Cure showed not much has
changed as they worked their was through a 2 1/2-hour set punctuated by the
singer's affinity for despair and resignation.  set to bouncy melodies that
kept the crowd dancing, it was far less depressing than it sounds.
        After opening with new material such as Want, the Cure found fresh
energy on the striking Fascination Street and the atmospheric Push.  they
didn't hold back the hits, sprinkling the set with staples Just Like
Heaven, Round & Round & Round and Love Songs (sic).
        The new songs relied on an acoustic bent with more varied
instrumentation, while the old material rang with the chiming,
reverb-drenched guitar and dense, swirling synthesizer.
        This could be the Cure's last arena tour, since Smith has talked
about calling it quits, and a meager McNichols crowd suggested it might be
time after a 19-year run.
        That would be too bad, since the Cure showed it can still host an
entertaining evening.  Smith's habit of dwelling on angst and ire is
transcended only by his ability to write punchy pop melodies that stick in
your head.
        Still, Saturday's concert crowd showed that the teens Smith
connected so well with in the '80s are now young adults with a new set of
problems and emotions.  Like a high school yearbook, his words now spark
memories of what they once felt, rather than what they're feeling now.  And
that doesn't bode well for any band.