The more things change the more The Cure stays the same.
The British rock outfit led by Robert Smith might have a different lineup than that of their glory years but still impress for the most part. Such was the case Saturday evening at Toronto’s muddy Downsview Park during the roughly two-hour headlining set. Or what The Cure might call an early night.
Although the maximum capacity was just over 42,000, perhaps half that number stuck around as The Cure began their set with “Shake Dog Shake.” Here Smith exemplified part of the band’s magic, sounding basically the same vocally as he did when the tune was released three decades prior.
Meanwhile, guitarist Reeves Gabrels who replaced Porl Thompson in 2012 proved to be a deft compliment to Smith’s own guitar work at times. The Cure’s mixture of hits such as “Just Like Heaven” and the tender “Pictures Of You” with deeper cuts like “Lullaby” and “Want” made for a strong but not truly amazing show.
THE CURE 