Pop sensations performed the second night of three nights at Wynn
The Boy George & Culture Club took to the stage at the Encore Theater in Las Vegas on Saturday night (February 18) for the second show of three nights. Emerging from understage shortly after 8:30, George was decked out in his trademark hat and geometric patterned jacket, his iconic beard and makeup instantly recognizable.
Culture Club guitarist Mickey Craig and Roy Hay were all smiles as they flanked their frontman. Musically, the group was tight and full-sounding. Thanks in part to a double drummer at the back of the stage, and a wall of three backing singers who each appeared throughout the night. In addition, the saxophonist added an extra layer of texture to the live sound.
Culture Club grew out of the “new romantic” scene subculture in nightclubs in the United Kingdom. They went mainstream by mixing elements of club music with many other genres. The breadth of these genres was on full display in Encore.
From the soulful “Hold Back,” the upbeat “I’ll Stumble Over for Ya,” and the reggae-inspired “Eyeliner Voodoo,” audiences went on a journey with Boy George and Co. Like “go away” and “do you really want to hurt me”. Those were the moments that resonated the most: The juxtaposition of Boy George’s whimsical image with heartfelt lyrics won over the crowd.
Boy George would deliver an insightful preamble before each number, like a brilliant sensei preaching to his flock. In fact, every interaction with the audience was a mixture of camp and seriousness because that’s just Boy George.
His self-expression is anything but smiley. That’s the whole point. At one point tonight, during Eyeliner Voodoo, he dragged a little boy dressed in a boy George-esque sparkly short-sleeve down the stage to make out with him. The young man gave all of his attention while not missing a note.
Of course, the Encore is the most intimate room in Vegas. Acts as diverse as Beyoncé, Sarah McLachlan, and Garth Brooks have felt a certain closeness to their audience not found anywhere else. The furthest seat is only 75 feet from the stage foot projectors. On this night, 1,800 people got the rare opportunity to look Boy George into his mascara-lined eyes.
Each number was accompanied by a video. Some had lyrics, but most used imagery to harken back to the club’s days and the LGBT roots from which the Culture Club arose. The band has remained true to the spirit of acceptance and togetherness that Boy George described tonight as “an all-out party. Feeling left out is just a choice.”
Boy George & Culture Club, who are celebrating their 40th anniversary triple platinum Coloring by numbers album, performing one final show in Vegas on Sunday (February 19) at the Encore Theater inside Wynn Las Vegas. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
