Kevin Bronson on November 23rd, 2011

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By Erik Ehlert

I’ve been more than a casual Cure fan, but I was not an adolescent that wore make-up, dressed in all black, burned candle wax into my forearm while I cried myself to sleep listening to the band’s music. I have never worshiped at the altar of Robert Smith, although the Cure has certainly served up my share of comfort food. Bouncing around to “Head on the Door,” more on the mind than just kissing to “Kiss Me Kiss Me,” deep thinking and heavy boozing with friends and “Disintegration,” all that.

But Monday night’s three-hour “Reflections” show at the Pantages Theatre certified the Cure, 35 years into its career and 32 years after its first album was released, as not just a band for obsessives but a band for all time, and Smith as a guitarist, songwriter and innovator extraordinaire. The four-set performance included a walk through each of the Cure’s first three albums, followed by an encore of B-sides and hits.

The blueprint is laid out on “Three Imaginary Boys,” with the post-punk tone of the era in “So What,” the pop sensibilities of “10:15 Saturday Night,” and even the dirge textures to come in “Another Day.” Smith seemed genuinely excited and a bit unsure of himself as would any young 19-year-old writing these songs. Be careful what you put to tape and paper, because who knows when you will one day have to perform it again. In fact he said that the song, “Object” wasn’t even played at the time of the album.

The three-piece performing 1979’s “Three Imaginary Boys,” Smith, bassist Simon Gallup, and drummer Jason Cooper would be joined by keyboardist Roger O’Donnell for their second album set with “Seventeen Seconds.” Gone are the short blasts of pop-punk. Enter a more contemplative but still youthful Smith, book of Rimbaud poems tucked under his arm walking the rainy streets as the fog moves in. “In Your House,” and “At Night” played with Pantages lights illuminating the beginning of Smith’s move towards darker themes. “Seventeen Seconds” works as singular piece, many shades of the same mood, yet in there we find a single only the Cure could write, “A Forest.” The Pantages crowd, die-hards lying in wait for the rare tracks, exploded.

Smith told the crowd he will be back in one year – with 1981’s “Faith” for the third set. Moving further into the darkness and bringing back old bandmate Laurence Tolhurst to add extra percussion and keys, we find the Cure in all their moody, textured grandeur: “All Cats are Grey,” “Drowning Man,” and “Primary.” It is tough to imagine the music industry of today accepting “Primary” as a band’s single. Ending the set, and the trilogy, with title track “Faith,” the Pantages crowd was satiated. But like a late night infomercial:, Wait, there is more.

The encores included a section that Smith joked was all going to be B-side instrumentals. There were “Descent,” and “Charlotte Sometimes,” and “The Hanging Garden,” – and then to span the full spectrum of emotion Smith decided to end the show with the pop: “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Let’s Go to Bed” and “Love Cats.” He seemed to have so much fun with the big hits, although it was unnecessary for this crowd, probably relieved and satisfied with his digging into the vault and delivering to his fans long-dormant gems. The crowd bounced out of the Pantages, out into the glitter of Hollywood, and if they were to vote on this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees, the Cure would be a lock.

||| Live: The Cure plays the final of its three-night stand tonight at the Pantages.