Blondie, featuring punk rock diva and original singer Deborah Harry, graced the stage at the Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls, New York, on Friday night. Pioneers of the new wave and punk scenes in 1975, Blondie was ahead of it’s time and the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers remain relevant today. The current line up also includes original guitarist Chris Stein, original drummer Clem Burke, Leigh Foxx on bass, Matt Katz-Bohen on keyboards and Tommy Kessler on guitar. The musicianship was flawless on Friday night and Debbie Harry’s vocal quality was impressive. Her voice is just about as strong as it was in the 1970s.
Debbie Harry entered the stage wearing a wizardly outfit, complete with hat and sunglasses, and opened up the set with the popular “One Way or Another.” The crowd was with her from the beginning and did not falter throughout the show. Harry is a veteran performer and has an incredible stage presence. Three large video screens displaying a variety of images served as a backdrop for the evening. After “Union City Blue,” Harry greeted the fans and said she “likes the place and feels the energy.”
“A Rose by any Other Name,” from Blondie’s forthcoming album ‘Ghosts of Download,’ was as well received as the classics and certainly fit right in the mix. “The Tide is High” had the crowd singing along. The audience went into a frenzy during “Atomic” and again for “Heart of Glass.” Touching on a career spanning nearly 40 years, the song selection blended old and new with a pleasant flow. The 90 minute set, from 8:45 PM to 10:15 PM, included a little bit of everything. The band even threw in a snippet of Rapper’s Delight by the Sugarhill Gang and some Beastie Boys during the encore opening of “Rapture.” The extended version of “Rapture” also included a drum solo. “Call Me” was next and its sound was complete with use of a keytar. It was, however, the only tune that slightly missed the mark vocally. Debbie Harry quickly recovered during the final song, “Dreaming,” where she added “sit by and watch Niagara Falls” to the lyrics and later waved and blew kisses to the audience as she exited the stage.
If you’ve never had the chance to see Blondie, put it on your list of things to do. Deborah Harry is a musical icon and still performs with girlish fervor.
Set List:
One Way or Another
Hangin’ on the Telephone
Union City Blue
A Rose by any Other Name
The Tide is High
Drag You Around
Maria
Winter
Lights
Atomic
What I Heard
Wipe Off My Sweat
Sugar on the Side
Heart of Glass
Encore:
Rapture (Rappers Delight snippet – Sugarhill Gang and No Sleep till Brooklyn snippet – Beastie Boys)
Call Me
Dreaming
All Photos by Gus Griesinger.
We would like to thank Ralfael Castro from the Rapids Theatre for the tickets and Cheryl Hall from Panther Entertainmnet for the photo pass so BackstageAxxess could review the show.
