The Bangles rocked the socks off a sold-out World Cafe Live

On Saturday, Oct. 4, a sold-out World Café Live audience was walking like Egyptians and basking in a hazy shade of winter with none other than the fab females of The Bangles. Rapturous joy was abound for a 23-song set that featured hit after hit.

Beginning with their glorious cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “A Hazy Shade of Winter,” there were memory-stirring songs throughout the night. The dynamic trio of guitarist Susanna Hoffs, guitarist Vicki Peterson and drummer Debbi Peterson kept the 1980s alive and reminded the crowd that they can still craft great pop. They took the crowd from their roots on their first EP, 1982’s The Bangles, through to their 2011 album Sweetheart of the Sun. The Los Angeles-based Paisley Underground alums played every song from their eponymous first release (in preparation of its Thanksgiving re-release), which meshed perfectly with more recent material like “Anna Lee (Sweetheart of the Sun).”

It was electrifying to watch Hoffs and the Petersons rock out in the bridges and deliver their brilliant covers of songs like Katrina and the Waves’ “Going Down to Liverpool” and Big Star’s “September Gurls” (the latter of which they performed recently at one of the Big Star tribute shows in Los Angeles).

Witnessing the crowd sing-along for the perfect encore of “Walk Like an Egyptian” (which Viki Peterson teasingly called “that cultural song”) and “Eternal Flame” was one of my live highlights of the year. Grins were overflowing, as were dance moves from a different millennium. And it was all brought to us by the brilliance of The Bangles, who still have what it takes to rock your socks off.

Setlist
A Hazy Shade of Winter (Simon & Garfunkel cover)
Some Dreams Come True
Manic Monday
Anna Lee (Sweetheart of the Sun)
Ball N Chain
He’s Got a Secret
James
Getting Out of Hand
I’m in Line
The Real World
Live (The Merry-Go-Round cover)
How Is the Air Up There (Changin’ Times cover)
Mary Street
If She Knew What She Wants (Jules Shear cover)
Going Down to Liverpool (Katrina and the Waves cover)
Ride the Ride
September Gurls (Big Star cover)
Want You
Open My Eyes (Nazz cover)
In Your Room
Hero Takes a Fall

Encore:
Walk Like an Egyptian
Eternal Flame