If you have an open-minded sense of what constitutes a Christmas carol and choose to dress in black rather than green and red, the Nightmare Before Curemas might just be the event for you. On one Friday (I’m in love) night in December, The Cure tribute band Lovesong will perform a two-act spectacle at Respectable Street. “Our special production blends the style of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas with the music of The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Smiths, New Order, Echo & The Bunnymen, and more,” the band tells PureHoney by e-mail.
Orlando-based Lovesong have an untraditional origin story that begins with a band playing ’80s covers for Norwegian Cruise Line passengers. “During that time, Rusty [Wilmot] began singing ‘Lovesong’ and ‘Just Like Heaven‘ by The Cure,” we’re told. “With his ’80s hard rock look (think Nikki Sixx) he didn’t exactly look the part, but one night, a British woman watching him perform in the Baltic Sea told him he looked and sounded like ‘Bobby Smith!’ It was the glimmer of what could be.”
With Wilmot as the incarnation of Robert Smith — unruly mane, eyeliner, aching voice — Lovesong try to do more than just bang out a set list of favorites. “In the world of tribute bands, there’s a distinct difference between simply playing songs and creating an experience that truly honors the original artists,” they say. “For us, it’s essential to be in the latter category. Like Brit Floyd (Pink Floyd), Rain (The Beatles), Nirvanna (Nirvana), and The Rocket Man Show (Elton John), we strive not only to recreate the music but to capture the look, feel, and energy that makes the essence of The Cure come alive on stage.”
Some Cure tracks can be tricky to replicate. “‘Disintegration’ is one of the hardest,” the band says. “The lyrics are constantly changing, with no repeating lines, making it challenging to keep up.” They count “The Lovecats” as another test, with its jazzy, vamping gait. It is “unlike anything else in The Cure’s catalog,” the band says, “and that’s part of why we love performing it!”
Lovesong presents The Nightmare Before Curemas 7pm Friday, December 27 at Respectable Street in West Palm Beach. thecuretribute.com ~ David Rolland
