The Butler Did it

By Wyatt Earp | October 8, 2009

There are certain truisms in life: death, taxes, and Wyatt and his friends will see the Psychedelic Furs anytime they are within a 100 mile radius of Philadelphia.

Last night, another truism was confirmed, as the world’s greatest band played in my hometown, at the Trocadero Theater. In attendance were me, RT, Deathlok, Mrs. Deathlok, Fish, Badger, Mrs. Badger, Vincent Antonelli, and Mrs. Antonelli. After a delightful Guinness, we adjourned to the front of the stage, and cordoned off a little section for the more insane of us.

“We who are about to go deaf salute you!”

After starting about 15 feet in front of the stage – the Troc has a huge dance floor/SRO area, so you can get as close as you can – Vinnie wrangled us to within five feet of the band. Good, because we could see everyone clearly. Bad, because after the opening song, “Love My Way,” we misplaced our hearing for the evening.

As usual, Richard Butler and company played thoroughly well. Tim Butler (Richard’s brother) was superb on bass, and the duo were surrounded by a great ensemble, including Mars Williams on sax. Anytime you can see a band with a saxophone player, you know you’re in for a treat. To wit:

Fantastic! Vinnie Antonelli, Mrs. Antonelli, Mrs. Deathlok and I were at the front left of the stage, in front of the guitarist with the white shoes. You can almost see the top of Vinnie’s head here . . .

The rest of the concert was similarly chock full of awesomeness. Their live renditions of “Pretty in Pink,” “The Ghost in You,” and “President Gas” – probably my favorite of them all – were incomprehensibly entertaining. Of course, I have been a fan of theirs for over 20 years, so I may be biased.

Anyway, after the concert was over, Deathlok tried to get the band to sign Badger’s copy of their book. One of the roadies said they were already backstage, but if he went out by the bus on the side of the theater, he may catch them coming out. Being a bigger fan than even I, he rushed out and waited. It was worth it. After inquiring as to an autograph or two, security let him back, and he got not just Richard Butler’s signature, but everyone in the band on the book’s rear cover.

Richard Butler, always the showman, penned this instant classic:

It says, “This book is a pile of untrue crap!!” – Richard Butler

Deathlok said Richard was smiling and laughing when he wrote it. Awesome. I lucked out as well, as Vinnie took my ticket with him when I left and said he’d try to get Richard’s autograph on it. My e-mail box lit up this morning with the news: “Dude, you’re hooked up!” Sweet! I wonder if I can find a frame small enough for a concert ticket?

Now if this post seems like a gushing, man-crush love fest, that’s because it is. Simply stated, the Furs are music to me. I have every album, every single, and some of their tunes as my cellphone ring tones. Of course, I don’t have the book yet (hint, hint, hint), but that’s just a matter of time. I could live a happy life with only their songs at my disposal, and a chance to see them play live once every couple of years. They are my music idols.

And when you get a chance to see an idol, how can you ever leave disappointed?

Topics: My Idiot Friends, Psychedelic Furs | 9 Comments »