Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Concert Review: Duran Duran - Jimmy Kimmel Live


I love the opportunities that living in LA affords me - like seeing Duran Duran up close and personal! This was my second time going to a Jimmy Kimmel Live concert. The concerts take place on an outdoor stage behind the theater where the Kimmel show tapes.  The first time I went, I saw Spandau Ballet. It was an excellent show but had a much smaller crowd than today’s show and a shorter set.  



There were two ways to get tickets for the show. You could apply for free tickets through 1iota.com or you could make a $15 donation to cancer research through the Mastercard Priceless program and be guaranteed a spot. I figured the Mastercard ticket holders would be let in first, and I dislike cancer, so I donated the $15.  


We arrived at 4:00pm to get in line. There were about 40 people in line ahead of us.  We had to wait in the sun for about 90 minutes while listening to the band do their soundcheck behind the fence.  They let us in at 5:30pm and we got a spot in the 2nd row from the stage! We then watched the Kimmel show broadcast on a video screen as it was taping. At the end of the show, Jimmy Kimmel came out on stage to introduce Duran Duran. The band’s segment was being taped to air on a future show.  




The band kicked off the set with “Pressure Off”, the first single from the new album “Paper Gods.”  They looked and sounded great.  I’ve been a Duranie for 33 years, and I’ve seen them in concert probably 7 or 8 times but I’ve never been able to see them perform at such close range. Simon came right up to the barrier and sang to us several times. I could have easily collapsed like one of those preteen fans in the “Sing Blue Silver” documentary.  And why did I forget my fedora?  






They played two other songs from “Paper Gods”:  “Last Night in the City” and “You Kill Me With Silence.” Album producer Mr. Hudson joined the band on stage and played guitar for “You Kill Me With Silence.  We got to hear all the new songs twice and Simon made several false starts on “You Kill Me With Silence.” He apologized and said it was such a good song that he wanted to make sure he performed it perfectly. None of us in the crowd minded hearing the songs over again. We are now well-prepared to sing along at the Hollywood Bowl show later this week!




Simon asked us how long we had been waiting and if any of us were hungry before launching into “Hungry Like a Wolf.”  They played this one a second time too, to get it perfect for TV.  The crowd went wild when they played “Save a Prayer” and we all sang along, especially on the greatest pickup line of all time: “Some people call it a one night stand, but we can call it paradise.”  They also performed “Reach up for the Sunrise”, which isn’t my favorite, but I reached up anyway.  






The whole show lasted just over an hour, which is pretty awesome considering some of these Kimmel freebie concerts are only 3 or 4 songs.  The band seemed to be in great spirits. I think the new songs are really catchy and I’m glad to see the Duran boys back on top again!



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