February 11, 1993
Duran Duran no joke no joke

Dry ice, flashing lights, synthesizers ... welcome to ``unplugged,'' Duran Duran-style.

Riding a huge hit single in Ordinary World, the once-again fashionable British band has a new album out next week and, as is the current trend, heralded that fact by playing a relatively intimate venue, the 1,200-seat Music Hall, last night.

As for the unplugged part, what sounded like a joke - who's next, The Pet Shop Boys? Anthrax? The Ramones? - actually turned out to be a pretty interesting affair.

For the most part, the core band played by the rules, sticking to acoustic instruments; only keyboardist Nick Rhodes was truly plugged in. Frontman Simon Le Bon, bassist John Taylor, and guitarist Warren Cuccurullo were augmented by a drummer, a back-up singer/belly dancer, and a three-piece string section.

When that combination ran into the right material, the results were terrific. Quieter tunes like Save A Prayer, Ordinary World, and the striking new ballad, Come Undone, all benefited from the intimacy of the playing.

But that approach was a lot less successful on upbeat numbers like Hungry Like The Wolf and the opening Planet Earth, where scaling down simply didn't make any sense. The effect was like buying a race car and pushing it around the track.

Still, the sold-out crowd didn't seem to mind in the least, sustaining a remarkable, high-pitched scream even through the ludicrous recitation that preceded The Chauffeur.

The 65-minute show wrapped up with an encore that featured Le Bon spitting out Iggy Pop's sardonic lines ``Here comes success ... hoo-ray success'' with a surprisingly convincing sneer pasted on his mug.

It was a pretty funny punchline to an evening that could've turned into a bad joke - but didn't.

Opening up was newcomer Michael Barabas, a Vancouver native whose 15-minute set received a wildly enthusiastic response from the young crowd. Most often compared to Bobby McFerrin, he plays his guitar like a set of drums, creating different tones by beating on it.

Unfortunately, Barabas's guitar, which features a complex system of microphones and equalizers, was stolen after the show. That means he'll be unable to play Duran Duran's New York date tomorrow night unless he gets it back. So, anyone with any information about his guitar is urged to call CPI at 777-1811, no questions asked. Barabas deserves better.

JAM! Rating: 3 out of 5