There and Back Again

Listening to: Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode)
Pondering: I always hate explaining away songs, because for me they mean something, and for other people, they’ll mean something absolutely different. (Martin Gore)

Last night was marvelous and unforgettable. The stars were out and the wind was warm but pleasant. The traffic on the drive to Mountain View was ghastly but necessary. Our seats had a good view of the stage. Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers beloved ex-quarterback, was 4 rows away from me, jamming with his very lovely wife. And the crowd, overall, was jovial and ready to party, full of 40- and 30-ish adults hoping to relive a piece of their youth. Yes, that’s right up my alley.

At around 9:30 p.m., Depeche Mode took the stage at the Shoreline Amphitheater. I remember thinking then what a sexy SOB David Gahan is despite the toil of the previous years. More importantly, he sounded so good I could listen to him all night. He moved around the stage and commanded the audience like it was nobody’s business. Martin Gore, the guy who penned the theme song to my high school existence (Somebody), was unrecognizable at first because of the somewhat-knitted hat he was wearing, but made his presence – and his feather wings - known shortly after. Andy Fletcher still looked the same after all these years. The man hasn’t aged, I don’t think. The only thing missing was Alan Wilder (the fourth member of the band who left in the late 90’s).

Now I am nowhere near a die-hard Depeche Mode fan like some of the folks at the venue last night. I do know a few songs, though they didn’t perform the ones I hoped they would perform. They opened with A Pain That I Am Used To and closed the set with a bang with Enjoy the Silence. I enjoyed that part tremendously. Who didn’t? Performances of Precious, I Feel You, and Walking in My Shoes, among others were equally memorable. So was Martin Gore’s solo performance of the lovely, Home. The encore consisted, I think, of Never Let Me Down Again and Shake the Disease. There was another song but I just can’t remember which one.

The official website suggests they usually have 2 encore performances, one of which usually includes the funky I Just Can’t Get Enough which would have really rocked the house down even further. We banged the chairs, stomped our feet, clapped until our palms were sore and screamed for more but alas, they didn’t come back out. The lights went up in the amphitheater and it was a signal for us to go home. Dave et. al., retired after the last wave and the last bow.

It was a marvelous evening indeed, definitely a blog-worthy experience. Too bad I can’t make it to Coachella or their Las Vegas show on Sunday because I want more Depeche Mode. I think I’ll go check their website for other shows I might catch…