Richard Butler of the Psychedelic Furs at the Beacon Theatre, NYC, 11/18/01 Photo by Glyn Emmerson © 2001 NY Rock

Richard Butler of the Psychedelic Furs at the Beacon Theatre, NYC, 11/18/01 Photo by Glyn Emmerson © 2001 NY Rock

To their credit, both bands delivered the goods that fans paid good money to hear. Psychedelic Furs frontman Richard Butler crooned and swooned through an hour's worth of favorites like "Love My Way," "Heartbreak Beat," "Pretty In Pink" and closed with the slow burn of "Sister Europe." Butler was the picture of casual elegance and did his David Bowie/Bryan Ferry influence proud, with just enough arch and swagger to establish his own indelible identity, one that could easily carry over to films should the James Bond producers want to get a little more hip with their next blockbuster. As if anyone cared, Richard, his brother Tim (bass) and John Ashton (guitar) also played some newer material, including "Alive," available only on the recent Beautiful Chaos CD. But it was the '80s hits that brought such poignant squeals as "We love you Richard!" and "You're so freakin' awesome!" from the crowd. Usually one must take the Staten Island Ferry to meet such discriminating and well-spoken modern music fans. After a simple "See ya," from Richard Butler, the Psychedelic Furs closed their set and while the stage was prepared for Echo and the Bunnymen I took a well-deserved beer break.

Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen at the Beacon Theatre, NYC 11/18/01, Photo by Glyn Emmerson Photo © 2001 NY Rock

Cooler-than-dry-ice Ian "Echo" McCulloch and his Bunnymen appeared next with a flourish of white light and more smoke than a Baltimore Bingo parlor. Honestly, I can't say I was familiar with the Bunnymen's catalogue before their concert and afterwards, I wasn't exactly knocking down old ladies to get to Tower Records to buy Crystal Days 1979 -1999, their new four-CD anthology. It's not so much the band, which were as good, if not better, than the Furs, but icicle Ian himself that left me feeling, well, cold. It's hard to warm up to a singer who never emerges from his back-lit spotlight so you can see his expression, not to mention the fact that he speaks with a Liverpool accent so heavy you need subtitles to make out the bloody syllables he's mumbling.

Like the Psych Furs before them, Echo and his Bunnyboys performed the hat trick of big hits and hopeful hits to be, including "Lips Like Sugar," "Flowers," and "Nothing Lasts Forever." During their first encore, McCulloch, for no known reason, slurred his way through a verse of Frank Sinatra's "Summer Wind" before he and the Bunnydudes fiddled about with the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues" and David Bowie's glam-rock rave-up "Jean/Genie." Then Ian and his Echobunnys trotted back one last time to perform "Ocean Rain." The final number was an ethereal release, so to speak, from this "freakin' awesome" show.