alle@ihuxb.UUCP (08/30/83)
I saw Men at Work with INXS at Poplar Creek Music Theatre (in Hoffman Estates, IL) last night (August 29) with the largest crowd I have seen at Poplar Creek in 3 years. The show was one of the most enjoyable I have seen. INXS (pronounced in-ex-es) opened the show. They played songs off of their current LP including the 2 songs made popular by MTV videos. The set included 2 excellent songs which I had never heard, but which were as good or better than their 2 hits (one song was called "Make a Decision"). INXS' performance was very professional and up to the standards of many headliners. I recommend catching their show if if you get a chance. This was INXS last night opening for Men At Work. Men At Work gave a superlative performance which was enthusiastically received by the crowd. They performed many songs off of their current LP "Cargo" plus most of the favorites off of "Business as Usual". The band seemed to enjoy a rapport with the audience and encouraged the audience to sing along/clap/dance throughout the show. The sound quality was excellent (as opposed to many bands that only sound well in studio recordings). The vocals and instruments were very well balanced. The songs really got the audience moving. They also played some songs which I had never heard, but which had a strong reggae sound. I recommend highly seeing this group in concert. The individual personalities come across much more strongly live than they do in videos or videotaped concerts. Overall, this concert offered two excellent groups for the price of one, and I feel that I more than got my moneys worth. Allen England at Bell Labs, Naperville, IL ihnp4!ihuxb!alle