Photos and Recap by Max Stewart

The Cure tour is one of the hottest tickets of the year. Ever since the band announced their latest dates on the road, tickets have been very hard to come by as legions of fans want to see the iconic goth-pop outfit live. Not just Generation Xers that are wanting a dose of nostalgia, but there are tons of younger fans that have discovered the dense and consistently-satisfying catalog that the band has released since 1978. When The Cure announced a date at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena, the show sold out quickly, so they added a second date… which also sold out.

Singer Robert Smith has been an advocate for trying to maintain affordable ticket prices for fans throughout this run of shows, one of many examples of how he is one of the more humble frontmen in popular music. The performances themselves have been fully immersive and a blend of the moody psych-pop instrumentals and singalongs. It is clear Smith’s voice is still in top form, which cannot be said for some of his 80s contemporaries.

As he took the stage, Smith was grinning ear-to-ear looking at the upper levels of seats and he showed immense gratitude and appreciation for the front row of fans that handed him bouquets of flowers. The band then performed a 29-song set over nearly 3 hours that included songs from 1989’s Disintegration, 1985’s The Head on the Doors, 1987’s Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, and all things in between. This band was in no way phoning it in for the big arena show, they left it all on the stage and it was obvious that the fans could not have been more grateful.

The Cure is living proof that a band of their magnitude has the ability to touch millions across generations and do so with a grace that keeps fans coming back.