Psychedelic Furs September 16, 2025

A week ago I saw The Psychedelic Furs for the seventh time at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon, and it was yet another fantastic and lovely night. This show is right up there with the 2016 and 2024 concerts because so many wonderful moments happened on that day. I'm going through the post concert blues right now, but I'm still beaming about everything and I can't wait to tell you.

Ever since The Psychedelic Furs announced the dates for this second North American tour I wanted to give guitarist Rich Good a present, and last year when he gave the bracelets to me seeing his backpack gave me a good idea. I wanted to get Rich a Squishmallow keychain of a black cat. If you don't know what Squishmallows are, they are stuffed plushies of various animals, insects, and other things, and are super soft. There's tons of accessories as well, one of them being keychains. I went to their official store on Amazon and looked at the keychains but they didn't have one of a black cat. Disappointed, I asked my friend Mary at work what I should do, so she looked further and showed me a set of six tiny Squishmallows, and lo and behold, a black cat was one of them. I ordered the set (which came quickly) and Mary ordered a keychain which I paid her back for, and one night at work I brought the Squishmallow with me and Mary brought her sewing kit and the keychain. At break she sewed the keychain to the Squishmallow, and the end result was perfect. For my birthday in August Mary gave me a beautiful necklace that has a black cat and she said it's for me to wear at the concert because of the connection to the keychain, and my parents got me a Psychedelic Furs t-shirt that has a drawing of, you guessed it, a black cat! I took this as a sign and it is known that black cats give good luck! I also got a thank you card for Rich, to thank him for everything he did for me, and two days before the concert I wrote my message in the card. I put the card and keychain in my purse, and hoped I would be able to give them to Rich.

The keychain for Rich! :)

On the day of the concert my brother and I left for Portland in the afternoon and we got to the Crystal Ballroom at around 3:30. When we arrived there were four or five people waiting but they said they weren't in line. They were carrying vinyl records of the Psychedelic Furs' albums, and it looked like they were waiting to see if any of the band members would come out and sign them, mainly vocalist Richard Butler. My brother and I went in line, and we were the only ones there for a little bit until a lady came in line. Then suddenly the people with the vinyl records left, and it looked like they gave up after waiting for some time. I don't know if they ever went to the concert but I felt they were only there to see if they would get autographs.

Some time after that, I was looking at my phone and The Psychedelic Furs arrived at the Crystal Ballroom. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a few of the band members entering inside to do soundcheck. I didn't want to look at them while they were going in there so I kept my eyes glued to the phone until I heard a voice say, "Hey Sarah!" I looked up and to my delight, it was Rich Good!! We both hugged each other and Rich suggested we stood in the shade where the tour bus was, because it was 86 degrees and I was standing in the sun. Rich had a few minutes to chat before soundcheck, and I told Rich that it had been 10 years since my brother and I first saw The Furs at this same venue and the moment when Rich smiled at me during the show, and waved at me when the band members left the stage. It was a year before I officially got to meet Rich and I told him I had never thought in a million years that we would meet and become good friends, and Rich said it was destiny that made it happen. Then I gave Rich my card and the keychain and he absolutely loved them, and said that he'll look at the card after soundcheck. Then my brother took pictures of us (Rich was holding the keychain!) and Rich promised we would take more photos after the concert. My brother told Rich that he appreciated drummer Zachary Alford's work with David Bowie in the '90s, and asked Rich if he would let Zach know. Rich agreed and even mentioned my brother could meet Zach. We said bye and then Rich went inside the venue for soundcheck. I was so thrilled and over the moon that Rich loved the keychain. It meant the whole world to me.

At one point we saw Zachary Alford come out of the Crystal Ballroom to go into the tour bus, but my brother didn't go up to Zach because my brother didn't want to bother him and interrupt what he was doing. We talked to the lady who was in line with us and she said that it would be her very first time seeing The Psychedelic Furs, and I told her I hoped she would have a good time seeing them. Later at around 5 the venue staff came out and were preparing to scan the tickets. While my brother and I were waiting, Rich Good came out and saw us, then asked my brother if he got to meet Zachary Alford. My brother told Rich he didn't and explained why, then Rich thanked me for the card and gave me a hug. Rich left to go for a walk and I was smiling as I watched him leave.

There was another line from the restaurant next door where the people got the $15 deal, where if they spend that much on food and drinks they would get into the venue first. I didn't panic from seeing them because the last time it happened I was able to get to the barrier. After that I got my tickets scanned, went through the metal detectors, and my brother and I went upstairs. I turned and went towards the stage but to my dismay, I didn't see any room at the barrier. I stood in the middle trying to figure out where to stand but eventually I made my way to the second row behind a couple people who were at the barrier facing where Richard Butler would be. I was kind of disappointed because I wanted to be at the barrier on the left side of the stage to be near Rich Good but thankfully the people in front of me weren't that tall so I got a good view. And at least I'm still close to the stage. I thought to myself that if The Psychedelic Furs tour next year and return to the Crystal Ballroom my brother and I would definitely go to the restaurant. We actually did that in 2019 when we saw The Furs there but I didn't know if the restaurant was still doing that kind of thing. As I took my spot my brother went to go sit somewhere near the bar.

The opener was Gary Numan and the only song that I knew from him was "Cars". Gary was actually really good and I liked how the stage was set up. Usually I don't take pictures of the opening acts but I had to take some of Gary. I wish I had taken some photos of Frankie Rose when she opened for The Psychedelic Furs and The Jesus And Mary Chain last year.

After Gary Numan performed we waited during intermission and while the music was playing one of the songs that got played was Roxy Music's 1975 single "Love Is The Drug". I got excited hearing it and to me it seemed like a coincidence because I started listening to more of Roxy's other songs.

And then, the lights went dim and we all knew what's going to happen. The exciting moment when The Psychedelic Furs go on stage. The band members arrived first, and then Richard Butler next. There were a couple mishaps with Tim Butler's bass and Rich Good's guitar not working but they got quickly fixed.

The new musician who joined The Psychedelic Furs on the tour was Peter DiStefano, who was the guitarist in the band Porno For Pyros (formed by a couple members from Jane's Addiction) in the '90s, and he's a great addition to The Furs. During the show Rich Good smiled at me twice and the second time he did that, he waved at me. I got all excited. <3

The setlist was incredibly amazing and I got to hear three songs I've never heard live before. "My Time" from Mirror Moves, "It Goes On" from Talk Talk Talk, and the one I got excited for the most, "Run And Run" from Forever Now. "Run And Run" used to be my number one favorite Psychedelic Furs song (it's now my second) and I always wanted to hear it live. The Furs also played "In My Head" and "Until She Comes", both from World Outside. It was great hearing the latter song and the last time I heard it live was in 2016! And then of course, The Furs played my favorite song "No-One" from Made Of Rain. I freaked out when they started that song and when it ended I shouted out thank you twice. I'm glad I got to listen to "No-One" again. I think this setlist and the one for the 2023 concert are my favorites.

During the beginning of Midnight To Midnight's "Heartbreak Beat" I got teary eyed, looked up at the ceiling and mouthed the words "We love you Mars". As I mentioned on my blog post about the previous concert the song sounded lonely without sax player Mars Williams, and I got emotional as well during the middle in "My Time" where it was supposed to have the saxophone.

After when the concert ended I walked over to where my brother was sitting. We sat for a little bit before heading downstairs and I went over to the merchandise stand. I bought a t-shirt that had the tour dates on the back and another different shirt for Mary to thank her for the keychain. We went out of the venue and there were some fans standing around the entrance so my brother and I went a little further away from them. While standing outside Rich Good came out of the venue and he had his backpack with him. Now I don't know if I saw correctly, but I think I saw the keychain attached to the backpack. It was kind of hard to tell though because the backpack was the same color as the keychain, and I don't know if Rich has another backpack but I like to believe I saw the keychain. Rich saw me in the distance and told me he had to go in the tour bus to put his stuff away first, and after that he went out of the tour bus and walked over to me. My brother was on the phone talking while Rich came over and I walked up to Rich, hugged him and thanked him for the concert. We got a few selfies together and then we went over to my brother who was done talking on the phone.

Throughout the years of getting to know Rich he is the most kindest, caring, and down to earth person I've ever met in my entire life, and from talking with Rich I feel he understands me as a human being. I wanted to thank Rich for that and when I did, I cried. Because as a person who's on the Autism Spectrum there are times at work where I feel like an outsider and while I made friends there, I would feel lonely and not fitting in with everyone. It doesn't happen all the time but when it does, sometimes it becomes a struggle for me and it can be exhausting being in this neurotypical world at times, a world that's not made for me. That's why I always look forward to my weekends because I want to be away from that world, to not see anybody and be safe and secure at home in my own space for a little bit.

Even though I have good friends there are a couple who are the kind of friends that completely understand and accept you for who you are, and they are Rich Good and Mary. Mary's the only friend at work who I talk about my special interests to, mainly The Psychedelic Furs (unfortunately some of my other friends/co-workers don't know who The Furs are....), and previously she had never heard of The Furs until one time I played "Heartbreak Beat" at work and she really liked it. I texted more of the songs to her and because of that Mary likes The Furs. And with her having a son who has Autism it drew me close to her and it's nice to know someone who understands my situation.

It's funny because with me being Autistic I always have trouble with crowds but when I was at the show surrounded by tons of people I didn't have a problem with it, I was fine. I think it's because a Psychedelic Furs concert is – besides home – the only place where I can truly be myself. I told Rich that I find comfort in the lyrics "You got rain in your eyes and a head full of stars" in the beginning of "My Time" because I feel it describes my Autism in a positive light. Rich was so sweet and understanding when I explained everything to him and Rich said when he first met Gary Numan and was getting to know him, Gary told Rich that he's on the Spectrum. It blew my mind when I heard that and after seeing the way Gary performed I would never think he would have Autism. I like to think that maybe Gary wanted to make music as a way to express himself. I also told Rich about the time I wrote my blog The Psychedelic Furs: 40 Years of Beautiful Chaos, where when I was finishing up the blog I accidentally deleted the whole thing, and I felt writing it the second time wouldn't be as good as the first. But because of my Autism I have a really good memory and I actually remembered everything I had written, so I rewrote the entire thing. I'll never forget Rich's reaction when I told him that and he said, "I think I read that blog!" I was shocked and said, "You did?!" I was speechless and overcome with happiness. Then Rich said he loved the shirt that I was wearing (it has the black cat with The Psychedelic Furs' name on it) and asked me where I got it. I told Rich my parents got it for me for my birthday and it was from this website called TeePublic, and Rich said he might get that shirt for himself. We all talked some more, Rich gave me a guitar pick, and then we said goodbye. I really didn't want to leave Rich and I hope there would be a day where we will see each other again and have more time to talk. It was hard having to go back to work the night after the concert and I wished I could stay at home and relive the whole experience. When I started working my body felt tired but it was a happy tired.

Four days after the show I discovered that on one of Rich's Instagram Stories he posted a black and white picture of us and wrote out this caption:

"Seen lots of faces:

Here's my friend [Sarah]

She's really cool <3"

When I saw that I got so excited and I saved the screenshot of it to my phone. It totally made my whole day.

If there's ever a time where I feel lonely again I'll look at the pictures of me and Rich Good and think about the beautiful friendship we have together. Rich definitely is, as Anne Shirley would say, a kindred spirit. <3

Thank you for reading.

Setlist:

1. Heaven

2. President Gas

3. Wrong Train

4. Into You Like A Train

5. The Ghost In You

6. The Boy That Invented Rock & Roll

7. Mr. Jones

8. My Time

9. No-One

10. Love My Way

11. In My Head

12. Run And Run

13. Until She Comes

14. So Run Down

15. Pretty In Pink

16. Heartbreak Beat

Encore:

17. It Goes On

18. India

*All photos by me*

Psychedelic Furs October 30, 2024

On the 30th of October I saw The Psychedelic Furs for the sixth time at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon, and I know I keep saying this every time I see The Furs but I had one of the most awesome nights (maybe the best night??) of my life. It's been a week now since the day of the concert but I'm still in shock and over the moon about everything that happened. And to be honest the happiest I've ever felt in months.

The last time I talked about the tour was back in June when I got the tickets and I mentioned my brother wasn't able to go because he couldn't get the day of the concert and Halloween off. So my dad said he would go with me and he eventually got the 30th off; and I did as well.

But two unexpected things happened during October. The first is I got a text from my brother and he had exciting news. He was able to get those two days off! I was so happy, I really wanted him to go and I was glad things worked out after all. The second thing is on Instagram I got a DM from a Psychedelic Furs fan named Juli. We both follow each other on social media and on the Fall 2024 tour she saw The Furs a few times on the East Coast. Juli told me that at one of the concerts she attended she sent the guitarist Rich Good a present for him to give to me at the Portland concert (Juli and Rich are actually friends in real life). I was so touched, I thanked Juli and told her how sweet she was to do that for me, and then suddenly a thought occurred.... I would meet Rich Good again... It would be my first time meeting Rich in seven years. Last year at the concert in Eugene I didn't have the chance to meet Rich because my brother and I left the venue right away since he had to go to work in the morning, and my brother said he felt bad about the whole thing. Even though it didn't work out Rich and I messaged each other on Instagram throughout the day so at least we did get in touch. But to actually meet Rich again, after all these years?

Since I would be seeing Rich I thought this was a perfect opportunity to write another letter to The Psychedelic Furs, and so I began working on it during my lunch breaks at work and at home on my days off. When I started to write my first letter back in 2017 I wrote it in the Notes app on my old iPod Touch because if I wrote it in my notebook I would probably waste a bunch of paper. This year I did the same thing, but what I don't like about my Android phone is that it doesn't have its own notepad. So I thought of writing it as a draft on my blog and when I finished it, on the day before the concert, I finally wrote it in the notebook and deleted the draft. I tore the letter out of my notebook, sealed it in an envelope, and put it in my purse. And then I thought of something. I wished I bought a little gift for Rich Good, but with me being busy and tired from work I didn't even think of it. But suddenly an idea entered my head. I had a collection of shells, pebbles, and sea glass that I found during my visits to the Oregon Coast, and since Rich lives in the desert area in California I thought he would like to have a little piece of the Coast. I put the shells in a little bag, tied it up and tucked it in my purse along with my letter.

On the day of the concert I woke up at 5:20 in the morning and I got a text from my brother and he said he's on his way from Bend. I took a shower, got dressed, and packed up my stuff since my brother and I will be spending the night at a hotel. At around 8:50 my brother arrived and visited our family for a little bit, and then we left. Before we entered Portland we stopped at a Japanese ramen place in Beaverton and it was really good. I never had authentic ramen before so it was a fun experience.

My vegetable ramen.

After we ate we drove over to Portland and parked the car in a parking garage that was two miles away from the Crystal Ballroom. Then we walked over to the venue and stood by the entrance. There was a man and woman standing near the entrance as well and they brought their vinyl records with them. I saw they had Mirror Moves and the US pressing of The Psychedelic Furs' debut. I have to mention that it was pouring (as you would expect here in the Pacific Northwest) but I didn't mind at all; I love the rain.

The tour bus!

My brother and I were able to hear the soundcheck through the rain and traffic, and as I looked at my surroundings I became emotional. The first time I saw The Psychedelic Furs was at this very same venue, the Crystal Ballroom, all the way in 2015, and back then I never imagined I would be here again, nine years later, at my 6th Psychedelic Furs concert. I feel like I've come a long way since then, and I'm absolutely grateful to have these wonderful memories.

A little later the venue door opened and a couple people came out and right behind them was.... Rich Good himself. Rich instantly saw me and came over and hugged me. I was so happy and excited to see him, I couldn't help crying a little bit. Rich opened his backpack and took out a tiny box. It was Juli's present for me and inside the box were two beautiful bracelets. In the box there was a note from Juli and she wrote that the bracelets were made out of Rich's guitar strings that he used during the Autumn tour of last year. I actually remember during that time Juli messaged me and asked if I wanted to have the bracelets. Even though I wanted them, I sadly declined because I didn't want to give out my address for privacy reasons. It was so sweet of Juli to think of me after all this time.

The bracelets.

I gave Rich my letter, and before I took out the bag of shells I asked Rich if he had ever been to the Oregon Coast and he told me he went there a long time ago. I gave Rich the shells and he loved them. Rich gave me two guitar picks that he used during soundcheck and we got a picture together. After that Rich had to go to a hotel, and we said goodbye. I couldn't believe it. Did that really happen or was I dreaming? I finally got to see Rich Good again. I was feeling total bliss and I excitedly texted the picture of me and Rich to my dear friend Mary, who was happy for me.

Then 30 minutes later, while my brother and I were looking at his phone, the door opened and someone walked past us. I didn't look up to see who came out of the venue but suddenly I heard the man and woman with the vinyl records shout: "Richard!!" I froze. I realized Richard Butler walked by my brother and I. Richard Butler, the vocalist of The Psychedelic Furs. The two people ran up to Richard and asked him to sign their records. I still didn't look up because I didn't want to be nosy, and due to my shyness I didn't want to disturb Richard but yet.... I wanted to have that chance to meet him. I looked at my brother and I asked him "Should we?" But he told me we shouldn't. I accepted his advice. I have to admit I was kind of disappointed, but as much as I wanted to meet Richard Butler I'm glad we didn't approach him since we knew he was busy and had things to do. I also saw drummer Zachary Alford and keyboardist Amanda Kramer, but I didn't want to bother them.

When the doors were almost about to be opened more people showed up, and the venue employees were getting ready to scan the tickets. Suddenly there was a line of people who were coming out of the restaurant next to the Crystal Ballroom, and they went inside the venue first. Then I realized in a panic. They got the $15 deal. I remember when my brother and I went to see The Psychedelic Furs for the fourth time in 2019, which was at the Crystal Ballroom again, we went inside that restaurant and we were told that if we spend $15 on food and drinks we would get into the Ballroom a little earlier than the regular line. I wasn't sure if the restaurant was still doing that this year, but I guess they were. And then another thing happened which made me panic even more. We were not in the right line after all so we had to go back a little more. Thankfully the line wasn't long but I felt upset. We had been standing outside the venue since 2:00 PM and we were basically there first. It wasn't fair that we had to go back.

After my tickets were scanned we went through the metal detectors, and my brother went to get a drink while I hurriedly went up to the third (or fourth) floor where the stage was. I looked at the stage and to my relief, there was a little gap at the very far left of the stage. I walked over there as quickly as I could, and I made it. I made it to the barrier!! And it was the spot I wanted, because it's on Rich Good's side! I stood there in disbelief. There was a tiny part of me that thought I wouldn't make it, but I did. My brother came and stood behind me, and I wished he was right up at the barrier with me.

I looked at the interior and the architecture of the Crystal Ballroom and I forgot how beautiful the inside was. The venue was built in 1914 and I always have a fascination with old buildings and houses. I like to watch videos of people going into the abandoned old farmhouses, and it seemed to me that back then the buildings and houses were made with thought and care. They have a certain beauty, quality, and charm to them whereas the new houses and buildings don't. I don't like the new buildings nowadays and they are ugly and too modern for my taste.

The special guest for The Psychedelic Furs and The Jesus And Mary Chain tour was Frankie Rose, and she was absolutely great. I really liked the way she performed on stage. Then The Jesus And Mary Chain came next and they were great as well. They even brought Frankie Rose to sing with them on a couple songs. After The Jesus And Mary Chain performed we waited for The Psychedelic Furs to come on stage. The two songs that were the highlights from the intermission music were "Sound And Vision" by David Bowie (funnily enough, that song was played at the 2019 concert so it was like a deja vu moment) and "Bring On The Dancing Horses" by Echo & The Bunnymen.

And then at last, The Psychedelic Furs appeared. In my opinion, the best way to experience a Psychedelic Furs concert is being at the front row. If you're a few rows back, far away or at the balcony it's just not the same. I love the way The Furs interact with the audience and to me they are the best live band I've ever seen. I got emotional at points throughout the show, and when Richard Butler came over to our side I cried. I couldn't believe I was seeing him close up in person. Rich Good smiled at me four or five times (<3), and bassist Tim Butler sang right back at me during "Pretty In Pink" and I think "Only You And I".

On the 2024 tour Richard Fortus joined The Psychedelic Furs and it was awesome to see him on stage. Richard Fortus was the guitarist for Richard Butler's other band Love Spit Love in the '90s. Then in the 2000s he became a member of Guns N' Roses (along with Love Spit Love drummer Frank Ferrer), and in 2020 produced The Psychedelic Furs' recent album Made Of Rain. Seeing Richard Fortus with The Psychedelic Furs on tour makes me wish they covered a Love Spit Love song. It would have been so cool.

The Psychedelic Furs opened with "The Boy That Invented Rock & Roll" and it took me back to when they performed that song in 2019, a year before Made Of Rain was released. It was absolutely awesome hearing "Pulse" and "Forever Now" live for the first time with my own ears, and The Furs brought back some songs I hadn't heard in a long time, like "Only You And I" (as mentioned), "So Run Down", "All That Money Wants", and "All Of The Law". I was happy they brought back "All Of The Law" and the first time I heard this song live was at my second PFurs show in 2016. And I loved how, like the 2016 concert, Richard Butler and Rich Good did the la la las at the end of "All Of The Law".

The three Richards. :) Good, Butler, and Fortus during "All Of The Law".

But even though I was having an incredible time, in my mind and heart I didn't forget saxophonist Mars Williams. I wanted to keep his memory alive and I liked to think he was there with all of us in spirit. On that night I was wearing my PFurs sweatshirt/hoodie but underneath I wore a T-shirt that had a picture of the band that was taken in 2021 (the year when Zachary Alford joined the band), and I wanted to wear it in memory of Mars Williams. And when I looked at the concert photos that people took on social media during the tour I noticed Rich Good was wearing a badge that had a picture of Mars, and I thought it was a lovely tribute. When The Psychedelic Furs played "Heartbreak Beat", during the intro of that song, Amanda Kramer played on her keyboard the part that was originally supposed to have the saxophone and it made me cry listening to it; the song sounded lonely without Mars.

When Mars Williams passed away I wasn't sure how the next concerts would be like and I was worried they wouldn't be the same without him. But after seeing The Psychedelic Furs that night I was wrong after all. They still put out a fantastic show and I'm glad they brought Richard Fortus with them to fill out the sound. He played the guitar and had this cool looking instrument that looked like a type of violin.

After the concert was over my brother told me he had to go to the parking garage to get his car before the garage closes at midnight, and asked me if I would be okay by myself while he went out. I told him I would be fine and as he left I went over to look at the merchandise. I bought a T-shirt that has the Made Of Rain album cover on the front and the tour dates on the back. After I bought my shirt I went out of the venue and stood by the entrance again. I wanted to see Rich Good one more time before my brother and I leave, and I prayed I would have that chance. My brother found me and we stood outside until Rich Good came out of the venue. Rich saw us and we talked for a little bit. I told Rich that it was seven years since we met face to face and he was shocked it had been so long. In my mind I wanted a second picture with Rich but I was afraid I would be asking too much, but suddenly he asked me if I wanted another one and I said yes. Rich got his phone out and took a selfie of us, then told me he would send the picture to me. We talked about other things and then we said farewell. I will always remember that precious moment and it makes me smile every time I think about it. Rich Good is just so wonderful, so kind, so gentle, and I will never forget everything he did for me. To think Rich actually knows who I am is just an amazing thought and I feel he truly understands me as a person, which means a lot to me. My family knows everything about me and Rich, and I really wish they can meet him because I want them to see how awesome he is.

After my brother and I left the Crystal Ballroom we drove to a hotel and spent the night there. While I laid in bed my feet were hurting and I felt exhausted, but my mind was racing with excitement about the concert and all of the things that happened. I was on cloud nine and I cried a bunch because I was so happy. It took me a while to fall asleep but eventually I did. At about 5:30 AM my brother and I left the hotel, got coffee and a few things to eat, then headed home. It was hard having to go back to work, reality, and life in general after I had such an incredible day. I really didn't want to go back, I wanted to stay in my happy little bubble forever. But I was happy in my cloud of thoughts while I worked, and the wonderful memories made my work nights go good.

I want to thank The Psychedelic Furs for putting out an awesome show and for coming back to Portland. I hope I will see them again someday.

And special thanks to Rich Good and Juli for making my day and night a very memorable one. I will treasure it forever now and always.

Thank you, with all my heart... <3

Setlist:

1. The Boy That Invented Rock & Roll

2. The Ghost In You

3. So Run Down

4. All That Money Wants

5. Only You And I

6. Wrong Train

7. Love My Way

8. All Of The Law

9. President Gas

10. Pretty In Pink

11. Mr. Jones

12. Pulse

13. Heartbreak Beat

14. Forever Now

15. Heaven

*All photos by me*

Psychedelic Furs October 2, 2023

It has been a long time since I had written a concert blog and it feels really good to write another one.

On October 2 I went to my fifth Psychedelic Furs show at the Silva Concert Hall in Eugene, Oregon. It was one of the most wonderful, beautiful and emotional nights for me. I can't believe I finally saw them after waiting for four years.

I remember when I arrived home after seeing The Furs for the fourth time in 2019 I thought of how in 2020 the band would go on tour to promote the upcoming (at the time) Made Of Rain, their first album in 29 years, and getting to hear more of the new songs live. I was ready for it and I felt in my heart that 2020 would be a great year for The Psychedelic Furs and for us fans.

But sadly 2020 took a turn for the worse with the pandemic happening and because of that The Psychedelic Furs had to postpone the Made Of Rain tour. I was heartbroken for the band because I knew they were looking forward to touring for the new album and performing the new songs. Why did the pandemic have to come at that point in time and ruin everything? It just wasn't fair.

Even though the tour got delayed, at least we were all fortunate enough to be treated with the release of Made Of Rain, which is a beautiful album. But we all waited patiently for the tour to happen, whenever that may be.

In the Autumn of 2021 The Psychedelic Furs started doing some shows on the East Coast and I was happy they finally got to play the new songs. On YouTube someone uploaded the full concert at one of their shows and I watched the whole thing. The Made Of Rain songs sounded awesome (I actually teared up) and I wanted to hear them so much with my own ears.

The Furs toured again in 2022 and during the Summer that year they went to two towns in Oregon, Forest Grove and Jacksonville. I was surprised not seeing Portland because the band always goes there whenever they would tour. I really wanted to go to those shows, but sadly I wasn't able to. I was disappointed but I hoped I would have the chance to see The Furs again soon.

Fast forward to 2023 The Psychedelic Furs toured for a little bit in the Spring, and soon after that they announced a tour in the Fall. They were coming back to Oregon again, this time in Eugene, at the Silva Concert Hall, which is located in a building called the Hult Center for the Performing Arts. This was my time to go, and so I bought two tickets; one for me and one for my brother, who's always my concert buddy. I didn't get the front row tickets because they were too expensive, so I just got the seated ones a little further back which were much cheaper. I wasn't bummed out that I didn't get the front row ones, because what mattered most was seeing The Psychedelic Furs for the first time in four years. Plus it's good for my feet too, since my job is overnight stocking and I walk a lot.

In late August at work I requested to have October 2nd off and two weeks later it got approved. Then I discovered to my relief that on my work schedule I got the day before the concert off! I had a feeling I was going to work on that day but I got it off instead. I could just rest at home before the big day.

But the plans for October 1st changed because at around 5:00 PM my brother called me on the phone and asked me if I wanted to go to Bend with him to visit his fiance. He said that we'll spend the night there at a motel, and on the next day head over to Eugene. I heartily said yes, and so I got ready, packed my stuff, and at around 6:30 my brother came to pick me up and we drove over to Bend. When we got there the three of us went out for dinner, then went to the motel which my brother's fiance paid for, and went to bed.

I went to bed at about 11:00 PM and unfortunately I didn't get enough sleep. I had passed out three times but they only lasted an hour. When I woke up the third time, it was 3:55 AM and I tried to go back to sleep but I just couldn't. I wasn't used to sleeping in a motel bed (the last time I slept at a motel was 13 years ago) and I forgot to bring an old T-shirt that I always use to cover my eyes when I sleep. So it was hard trying to fall asleep with my eyes uncovered.

At around 6:30 AM my brother's fiance left to go to work and my brother and I tried to sleep a little more; but all of a sudden my brother didn't feel tired so we just got ready at 7:00 and left the motel. We did some sightseeing in Bend for a little bit and before we left the city we stopped by where my brother's fiance worked. We visited him on his work break, and after that we headed out to Eugene. Instead of going on the freeway, we went on a different route that was more scenic, with mountains and forests. While we were on that route we stopped at this place and stayed there for a little bit. It was really nice and quiet.

Photo by me.

After that my brother and I headed on to Eugene and we got there at around 4:30 PM. We found the Hult Center for the Performing Arts and parked at the venue's parking area. It was actually raining in Eugene and I liked to think the rain appeared because The Psychedelic Furs were there, and too it fits the theme of Made Of Rain. My brother and I did some more sightseeing, and at 6:30 we went inside the venue.

We saw the merchandise area and went over there to see what they had and I bought two things. I got a T-shirt that has the band's name with the purple star behind it, and to my delight a hoodie that says The Psychedelic Furs on it. I always wanted to have a band hoodie and I am happy it's a Psychedelic Furs one. I feel like it represents who I am.

So then my brother and I went into the Silva Concert Hall, and I think I read that it was built in 1982 and the interior is supposed to resemble a theater from the 19th century. We found our seats, sat down, and waited during intermission.

The opening band Squeeze came on and they were fun to watch. I'm only familiar with a few of their songs because a couple of Squeeze's songs were in the Rock Band video game which my brother and I used to play, and the song I remembered the most was "Tempted". They played that song and it was great hearing it. While Squeeze was performing the thought of seeing The Psychedelic Furs in a moment entered my head and I got super emotional. I tried not to cry but a tear escaped out of my eye. I wiped my eye and composed myself. I couldn't believe it would happen soon.

After Squeeze performed we waited during the second intermission and it was so cool seeing the new look of The Psychedelic Furs' drum kit. And then at last, the moment I had been waiting for came. The lights went dim, the introduction music started, and The Psychedelic Furs arrived on stage. The band members were the ones to arrive first, and after when they got settled in their positions vocalist Richard Butler appeared. When I first saw them walk on stage the tears were finally let loose and I started crying. It was actually happening, and how did I live without seeing The Psychedelic Furs for four long years?? It absolutely felt like old times again, before all the crazy things happened in the world.

The newest member to fill in former drummer Paul Garisto's place on the drums was Zachary Alford, who first joined The Psychedelic Furs in 2021. It was cool to finally see Zach in action and he's an awesome addition to the band. And it was so wonderful to see saxophonist Mars Williams back on the stage. When The Furs did the first part of the 2023 tour Mars was sadly unable to join them because he had been going through treatment. I can't imagine a Psychedelic Furs show without Mars. He's part of what makes The Psychedelic Furs' music so great and he's incredible on the saxophone. I hope Mars is enjoying the tour and I hope his health continues to improve and get better. I shouted out "We love you Mars" twice and I don't know if my voice was loud enough but I hope he heard me.

On my blog about the second concert I attended I mentioned that the setlist for the 2016 tour was my favorite setlist, mainly because two other songs from Midnight To Midnight were played, "Angels Don't Cry" and "All Of The Law". But this setlist...  it is definitely the best one for me. All of the songs were so fantastic but I will talk about the ones that stood out to me the most.

The Psychedelic Furs played "In My Head" from their 1991 album World Outside and it was delightful hearing it. It's one of my favorite songs on that album. And the Made Of Rain songs.... Wow.... they were so amazing and I finally got to listen to them live! I'll start with "Wrong Train" first. In 2015 when I first saw The Furs, they played this song but at the time I wasn't familiar with it. But now since it's on Made Of Rain it was great hearing the song. "This'll Never Be Like Love" was very fantastic, especially when guitarist Rich Good and Mars Williams gave it their all at the end. They played beautifully.

But the two songs from Made Of Rain that made me become very emotional were "No-One" and "You'll Be Mine". As I said many times, "No-One" is my favorite Psychedelic Furs song of all time and I was in tears when they played that song. I was so glad I got to hear my favorite PFurs song in person. It was glorious. I was in awe throughout the whole song.

After when The Psychedelic Furs performed "Heaven" I knew "You'll Be Mine" was next since I looked at the setlists from the previous shows. And let me tell you, the performance of "You'll Be Mine" was something that I will never forget. It's one of those moments that stay with you forever and it makes me emotional, even cry, thinking about it. It sort of felt like a religious experience in some way, and in my opinion it was even more powerful live. On my review of the Made Of Rain album I wrote that if I heard "You'll Be Mine" live I would probably break down in tears. And it turned out I was right all along. I cried throughout the whole song and even though I really wanted to sing, I couldn't and just remained silent. It's hard to believe that three years ago when "You'll Be Mine" first came out the world was in shambles. I didn't know what would happen in the coming days, weeks, and years, and I felt like all was lost. But as I listened to the music, even though the song's about death, it gave me hope. Back then I never imagined I would be back at a concert, three years later, seeing The Psychedelic Furs and hearing them play "You'll Be Mine". It meant so much to me that they played this song and I want to thank the band with all my heart for doing that.

There was no encore this time, and when the lights came back on my brother and I left our seats and went out. Deep down I was kind of hoping we would stay for a little bit, in case we were lucky enough to meet Rich Good again but we left right away. My brother had to be at work at 11:00 AM and the drive home was an hour and a half.

My fifth Psychedelic Furs show, and my first concert in the 2020s, was absolutely wonderful. I never wanted that day to end and I wish I can go back in time to relive it all over again. I can't believe it actually happened and I really hope I will see them again next year.

Setlist:

1. Into You Like A Train

2. Mr. Jones

3. Heaven

4. You'll Be Mine

5. Wrong Train

6. President Gas

7. The Ghost In You

8. In My Head

9. Pretty In Pink

10. No-One

11. This'll Never Be Like Love

12. Sister Europe

13. Heartbeat

14. Love My Way

15. Heartbreak Beat

*All concert photos by me*

Psychedelic Furs July 22, 2017

After feeling the excitement from the second concert in 2016 I hoped The Psychedelic Furs would return to the Revolution Hall in Portland, Oregon someday. The venue was awesome and I really wanted to go back there; and luckily it happened. When The Furs came out with the dates for the Summer 2017 tour I discovered the Revolution Hall was added again and I was delighted. But there was something I wanted to do, and that was to give The Psychedelic Furs a letter.

In June (a month before the concert) I bought a notebook to write my letter in, but before I wrote on the notebook I used the Notes app on my mobile device. I didn't want to write on the notebook first because I would probably waste a lot of paper, so using the app was very useful. I can't remember how many weeks it took me to write out my letter, but I finished it on the Notes app. Then in July on the day before the concert I officially wrote it on the notebook and tore the paper out. I was excited.

I took this picture right before I started my letter; July 21, 2017.

The big day finally came, and my original plan was to be in the front row again and try to give my letter to vocalist Richard Butler or throw it on stage during the show. But unfortunately my plan got backfired, because my brother (who went with me again) had a blister under his foot and he said he didn't want to stand for a long time and so wanted to sit in the balcony. I told him that was fine, but deep down I was really disappointed. At first I thought of not bringing my letter, but at the last minute I decided to take it with me, thinking "Well, just in case..." I prayed that there would be a way for me to give The Furs my letter. I wanted it to happen so much.

My brother and I got into the Revolution Hall and we went up to the third floor (where the balcony was) to stand in line. As I mentioned before, the venue used to be a high school many decades ago and seeing the old lockers by me was cool. While in line a middle-aged couple who were standing behind me noticed the 2016 tour t-shirt I was wearing and we started talking about The Furs. I actually enjoyed it, and it was fun talking to them about my favorite band. After that the doors opened and we went inside. The balcony was curved and so my brother and I sat on the left side of it.

There was a backstage door facing my direction which was open, and while opener Robyn Hitchcock was singing a lady appeared in the doorway to watch him and then left. I realized she was the keyboardist Amanda Kramer, and a little after she went away guitarist Rich Good came and watched Robyn, too. I looked at Rich and I thought about the time I met him the year before. Through the doorway I also saw Richard Butler, his brother and bassist Tim, and saxophonist Mars Williams.

Right after Robyn Hitchcock's performance somebody from the bottom floor threw something on stage. Seeing that suddenly gave me a great idea. I took the letter out of my pocket, got up from my seat, and threw it so that it would land on the stage. But as I threw my letter I saw it floating down to the floor below instead of the stage, and I sat back down with my hopes crushed. My brother wondered what I threw and I told him it was a letter for The Psychedelic Furs. I was devastated inside and I felt like I did it all for nothing. I thought of how the audience under me would probably find my letter, pick it up and read it, and I got a sick feeling in my stomach thinking about that. I really didn't want them to, because my letter was supposed to be personal and private.

Once again The Psychedelic Furs put out an amazing show and the songs I got excited hearing were "Dumb Waiters," "So Run Down," "No Tears," "Alice's House," "All That Money Wants," and "House." I wasn't familiar with the latter song when The Furs played it at the 2016 concert because I didn't have Book Of Days at the time. They also performed another song I didn't recognize back then, and it was a cover of "Believe" by Richard Butler's other band Love Spit Love.

When the concert was over my brother bought me a t-shirt and we went out of the building. I had a good time but I was sort of still disappointed with the whole affair of the letter. But while I watched The Furs perform I never knew that something special would happen after the show, and it gave that night a happy ending for me.

My brother and I were about to cross the street but we couldn't because there were too many cars passing through. So we went around the Revolution Hall, and as we were walking my brother looked over his shoulder and suddenly whispered to me, "Sarah, behind you!" I looked back and I saw Rich Good walking out of the door of the venue. He had a drink in his hand and was heading the opposite direction. I yelled out hi to Rich and he turned around, looked at me, and said happily, "Hey, how are you doing Sarah?!" When Rich said my name I got so excited. I was blown away that he remembered me, and even my brother was too! Rich came over and hugged me, then pulled something out of the pocket of his jacket and said, "I got your letter!"

He was holding my letter... My letter... 

I was absolutely stunned. I thought it disappeared. How did Rich find it? I was like, "What?"

Then Rich said, "Yeah, I found it by my key pedals and it was really lovely and it made me tear up."

After Rich said that I was in a shock and tried to process what I heard. Then realizing my letter actually made it to The Furs I broke down crying tears of joy and relief, and as I cried Rich hugged and comforted me. I knew there were people around us who could hear me sobbing my heart out, but I didn't care... I was the happiest girl in the world that night, and I was so thankful my prayers were answered.

Rich talked to my brother and I for a little bit and asked us how our day went and if we enjoyed the concert. Then I got a photo with Rich and he gave me another guitar plectrum! As we were preparing to leave Rich hugged me, said bye, and left to go visit a couple friends of his. Rich Good is one of the most nicest and awesome people I've ever met, and I will always remember his kindness to me. I even got five hugs from him! <3

I was still in shock when we left and before my brother and I went home, we stopped by at an area where there were food trucks and benches and so we got something to eat. I didn't eat that much though because I was too excited about what happened. That night definitely ended on an awesome note, and looking back it gives me a comforting feeling to know that Richard Butler and the others saw my letter, too.

The next day I was looking at the pictures that I took at the concert and on some of the photos there was an amazing discovery. There was something laying by Rich Good's key pedals and after remembering what Rich said to me, I realized that was my letter! It did land on the stage after all and he probably found it when the show ended. My family was very happy for me when I told them about that wonderful moment. It's a beautiful memory that I will cherish forever...

My letter laying near Rich Good's key pedals during the concert!

Setlist:

1. Dumb Waiters
2. Heartbeat
3. The Ghost In You
4. So Run Down
5. Heaven
6. No Tears
7. Believe (Love Spit Love cover)
8. Highwire Days
9. Love My Way
10. Angels Don't Cry
11. Alice's House
12. Mr. Jones
13. All That Money Wants
14. House
15. Pretty In Pink

Encore:

16. President Gas
17. Heartbreak Beat
18. India

The guitar pick given to me by Rich Good.

*All photos by me*