Applause
for long-missed Blur fills Wiltern
By Nicole Aromando
Summer On-line Forty-Niner
It
had been four long years since the band
had played a show of their own here in the
states. For many fans it was four years
too many to wait for the bands return. When
Blur took the stage Monday, June 16, at
the Wiltern they were met by the screams
and applause of an anxious crowd.
The large turnout for the show made it obvious
that Los Angeles was a city filled with
loyal fans. Tickets for the show went on
sale on Sunday, June 15, only one day before
the event. While ticket prices were relatively
high, this did not seem to matter to fans
that would do almost anything to see the
band perform.
This included lining up hours before the
show to ensure that they would get a spot
front and center within arms reach of the
band’s lead singer, Damon Albarn. After
the audience had filed in and the lights
in the theater flickered signaling the beginning
of the show things were ready to get rolling.
The band started things off with their well-known
song, “Girls and Boys.” The audience sang
along with the band knowing every word and
every beat. The remainder of the set was
a mixture of new and old material. It came
as a pleasant surprise to many fans that
even with the recent release of their latest
album, “Think Tank,” they still chose to
play a number of old favorites. Although
when playing those old favorites it was
obvious that something was missing.
Since the departure of band member, Graham
Coxen, fans were unsure if things would
be different this time around seeing Blur.
Indeed things were a bit different, but
change is inevitable and Blur is no less
of a band since his departure. Coxen’s
voice was especially missed on songs such
as, “Tender,” where his back up vocals were
a crowd favorite in the past. Albarn made
mention to the fact that Coxen was missing
and thanked the audience numerous times
for their obvious appreciation of the show.
According to Albarn the band had played
a local radio station festival, KROQ’s Weenie
Roast, the day before, where they received
a less than positive response from the audience.
No matter what the audience thought the
day before, it was obvious that no one was
disappointed with Blur’s performance that
evening. In fact, when the band finally
left the stage and made their exit they
returned minutes later persuaded by the
audience’s chants to play two more songs.
Even then after the band finished up for
the second time that night, the audience
had still not had enough. It was only until
the lights went on and the background music
began to play that the crowd quieted down
and began leave. As they dispersed, the
excitement of the show still lingered. Whether
or not Blur comes back in a month or in
another four years, they have proven that
they still have what it takes.
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