Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden for the third set of her “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” farewell tour, Cyndi Lauper Performed a synthful Prince cover of “When You Were Mine” from his 1983 debut “She’s So Unusual”.
It was a reminder that, at 71, she had outlived other music icons of the ’80s, such as Prince and Michael Jackson. Whitney Houston And George Michael.
And for the first time since their 1986 “True Colors” tour, New York native Was playing again in her hometown area. Who would have thought it would take 38 years for him to get back there?
But while Lauper never quite reached the heights of her ’80s superstardom — her last Top 10 hit was 1989’s “I Drive All Night” — she survived and evolved: She went on to win a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1985. She went on to win a Tony Award. For Best Original Score for “Kinky Boots” in 2013.
And now she’s riding a wave of nostalgia for her pop career, which includes a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominationhis documentary “Let the Canary Sing” and the “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” sample (on “Pink Friday Girls”) by Nicki Minaj.
Seizing my moment to play in arenas again this farewell tour – Although that doesn’t mean she’s retiring from music or live performance – Lauper is harkening back to her glory days.
And when she took the stage to a sold-out Garden for “She Bop” – her song of masturbation that earned the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) a 1985 selection as one of the “Filthy Fifteen” – she was that punk rebel. Thea celebrates the joys of self-indulgence with her hitching vocals that are unmistakably Cindy.
She may not be able to do this in the next few years, but she can still do it.
Then when she went to “The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough” – she loved it “fool” Soundtrack – This was a total 80s flashback presented in their most quirky style.
By the time she got to “Money Changes Everything” – the rock-charged opener of “She’s So Unusual” – she summoned all the urgency of the young woman who was singing for her life back in the day. At one point as she curled up on the floor, it was hard to imagine she would be able to do something like this forever.
While Lauper’s biggest hits came from her first three albums – “She’s So Unusual,” 1986’s “True Colors” and 1989’s “A Night to Remember” – he left no stone unturned throughout his career. Once a fierce feminist, she made a timely statement about abortion rights with the influential 1993 song “Sally’s Pigeons,” and she revisited her rockabilly roots with a 2016 cover of Wanda Jackson’s “Funnel of Love.” .
And Lauper brought the crowd to its feet with her full-throated high note at the end of “I’m Gonna Be Strong,” her remake of a 1964 Gene Pitney hit that she originally recorded with her pre-solo band Blue. Sang with Angel.
From a vocal standpoint, there’s certainly no reason Lauper should say any kind of goodbye. Her voice is still a powerful instrument of nature that can range from a whisper to a moan.
And their biggest hit – although “All Through the Night” was an odd omission – was as undeniable as ever. She brought out surprise guest Sam Smith for a sweet duet “Frequently,” His first number one hit. As the iPhone flashlight lit up MSG, it was a reminder of its impact on the LGBTQ+ community because a terrible ally In the last few years.
Similarly, when he sang strange song In “True Colors”, he embraces the gay tradition of flagging with his interpretive dance. There was a spare, enchanting beauty to it, as if it were attracting the souls of those lost to the AIDS epidemic with its rainbow flag.
Of course, it all had to end “Girls Just Want To Have Fun.” Although the Garden felt a little rushed in implementing its 11pm curfew, its signature bop has lost none of its funky bounce.
And Lauper, with her ageless exuberance, always remained girly.
