I can think of few better ways to kick off Labor Day weekend than with a show from Duran Duran, Bastille, and Nile Rodgers & Chic at Northerly Island in Chicago. And lucky for me, I was one of the several thousand fans who packed the Huntington Bank Pavilion on Friday, September 1st to attend the Future Past Tour.
The performances kicked off just before sunset with the legendary musician and producer Nile Rodgers, along with his band Chic. If you’re even a casual fan of disco or funk music, chances are you’re familiar with Chic’s hit “Le Freak,” and the band kicked off their performance with the popular track. If I’m being honest, I went into the show thinking that was the only Chic song I knew, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised when I recognized other Chic songs like “Everybody Dance” and “I Want Your Love.” Rodgers may be best known as the co-founder of Chic, but he’s also worked with countless top tier artists as a producer, so I was again pleasantly surprised to be familiar with all of the other songs performed in his set. In addition to some of Chic’s discography, Rodgers and his bandmates delivered incredible renditions of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” that had everyone standing and dancing—which is a rare sighting during the first act of a show.
Once the sun had set, Bastilletook the stage next. The British quartet of Dan Smith, Kyle Simmons, Will Farquarson and Chris "Woody" Wood were joined by touring band members Charlie Barnes and Bim Amoako to help bring their songs to life. The band kept the high energy that Nile Rodgers had set up going, opening their set with the upbeat track (if you ignore the lyrics) “Good Grief” and the guitar-driven, rambunctious “WHAT YOU GONNA DO???” The rest of their setlist spanned their entire discography, from their debut album to their most recent album, as well as standalone singles like the hit collaboration they did with Marshmello, “Happier.” During the performance of “Things We Lost in the Fire” from their first record, Smith stationed himself a floor tom drum to pack another punch of percussion in the song’s chorus. The drums came into play during a couple of their other songs like the band’s mash up of the 90’s hits “Rhythm is a Dancer” and “Rhythm of the Night,” but when Smith wasn’t drumming he was usually dancing his way across the stage. While playing “Shut Off the Lights” from Give Me the Future, Smith shimmied alongside Bim Amoako, who delivered powerhouse backing vocals throughout the show. The set wrapped up with Bastille’s epic sing-along hit “Pompeii” that had everyone up and out of their seats yet again.
From there, the energy and anticipation only continued to climb while the stage was set for the main act, Duran Duran. When it was showtime, the screen onstage cast a futuristic, sci-fi-esque video, in homage to the future part of the tour name and the band’s most recent album. Finally, the shadows of band members Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Roger Taylor appeared in the center of the stage, their silhouettes illuminated by colored lights in the background. The crowd went wild as the band launched into “The Night Boat” from their 1981 self-titled album— as I looked around I saw nothing but pure bliss from the fans in the front section of seats.
This concert was my first time seeing Duran Duran perform, and I was immediately struck by how poised and coordinated all of the band members were, and the elevated level of camaraderie between not only the core band members, but the additional musicians performing onstage with them. Le Bon’s vocals also sounded impeccable throughout the performance and he showcased a natural showmanship with his between-song banter. Le Bon took some time to comment on the beautiful weather and bright moon before they played their hit “Hungry Like The Wolf” as the third song of the set.
Le Bon gave similar quips to set up the forthcoming songs often throughout the night, like asking the crowd “which do you prefer? Yes or no-no” before “Notorious” and asking if there were any birthdays in the house before “Anniversary,” adding “We got everyone in this place celebrating an anniversary tonight!” In addition to Le Bon’s commentary, the lights and visual projections on the stage’s screen also complemented each song performed. During “Is There Something I Should Know?” images of the band on different magazine covers in the 80’s flashed on the screen, and they started their song “Girls on Film” with flashing lights and sound effects that felt like a real-life paparazzi attack.
While a lot of Le Bon’s commentary between songs had a cheekiness about it, he also made a very heartfelt dedication before performing “Ordinary World.” “'[This song] is about bringing people together, and saying yeah, I know how how you feel. There are two dedications to this song tonight…one to the people of Maui, hold them in your hearts and help them if you can. I also would like to dedicate this song to the people of Ukraine. In their struggle, we wish them happiness and peace in their own country, in their own ordinary world,” he added.
After lots of dancing and a journey through Duran Duran’s long discography, we’d sadly reached the end of the main part of the set. Duran Duran made sure to end the night with an incredible encore that started with their song “Save a Prayer.” The band asked everyone to turn on their cell phone lights for that song, Le Bon saying, “Let’s turn this part of Chicago into the galaxy itself!” The night wrapped up with an explosive performance of their hit “Rio,” featuring a saxophone solo from Simon Willescroft. Overall, the Future Past tour packed a lot of nostalgia and a great time for all.
View photos of the evening below, and see where you can catch Duran Duran on tour next here.
