Not even a howling Arizona dust storm could curb the crowd’s enthusiasm for The Letting It Go Show last week. Headlined by Boy George and Culture Club, the 80s came alive at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre for one very special evening.
Berlin opened the night with a soaring set that put vocalist Teri Nunn front and center. Her flowing white dress fluttered perfectly in the wind and her singing voice transported a nostalgic audience right back to the days of their wild youth.
The night got even better from there- British pop artist Howard Jones emerged from the haze armed with his keytar and a host of danceable songs. His incredible backing band kept the crowd moving and grooving to all of Jones’ hits, while the man himself took several turns behind a sitting piano and getting up to shake a tail feather with an ecstatic front row.
Culture Club was also enormously popular in the 80s and their stellar discography has brought fans out of the woodwork for this tour. The incredibly stylish group kicked things off with “Next Thing Will Be Amazing” and set the tone for their set. Boy George appeared at the top of stairs built on the stage, dressed in his signature hat and flamboyant makeup and setting the crowd to cheering and dancing.
Culture Club’s set was airtight in its precision- the band perfectly plays off of each other and incorporates their two backup singers into spotlight moments on all the roof-shattering vocals present on stage. After a few cheeky anecdotes, a costume change and a momentary interlude, the band returned from their main set to close the night with “Karma Chameleon” and send their longtime fans back into the stormy Arizona night.
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Story and photos by Olivia Khiel
