Depeche Mode: Chicago Style

New wave/synth pop pioneers and innovators Depeche Mode lured an impressive crowd as one of the headliners at the first day of Lollapalooza. And standing amongst so many loyal fans was no doubt a great experience. After a long day of nagging rain, the baseball diamonds on the festival grounds were a muddy mess, but that didn’t stop DM’s multi-cultural fan-base from sinking their feet into any spot they could find and I’m glad I joined them.

Having walked around the outskirts of the crowd towards the end of the set, I can say that it was a lot more enjoyable to be standing next to the couples, groups of friends, and loners alike who were eagerly awaiting their favorite Depeche Mode material. Lead vocalist Dave Gahan along with multi-instrumentalists Martin Gore and Andrew Fletcher gave the people what they wanted, but they did so gradually, saving hits like “Personal Jesus” and “Enjoy The Silence” for the second half of the set.

While it took a couple songs for this trio to really hit its stride, once the energy picked up, DM heads were in heaven. I have to especially give props to Gahan, who moves along with almost every note, swinging the mic stand around with ease. Doing multiple spins with the swiftness of a figure skater was his signature move of the night and with elements like this, he proved that he’s a maestro at working the stage.

Considering Gahan’s stellar stage presence and the assorted visuals being projected on the jumbotrons (live black & white performance shots, astronauts walking around, lines of poetry, etc.), there was never a shortage of things to look at. At the end of the day, though, it was the thick, new wave sonics played so well by each member of Depeche Mode that really made this headlining set complete. Hearing so many cheers and seeing so many hands in the air is the best indicator that Depeche Mode delivered.