BILLY IDOL
MAGIC CITY MUSIC HALL
BINGHAMTON, NY

Given his current tour schedule of seated amphitheaters and large-scale casinos, the chance to catch the one and only Billy Idol in a smaller, general admission venue on a Saturday night wasn’t something to pass up. Thankfully bypassing an opening band, Idol and his pro backing musicians ran through a fan’s dream set. Kicking things off in high gear with the cut “Super Overdrive” from his surprisingly solid new album Devil’s Playground, Idol went on to deliver hits like “Dancing With Myself”, “Eyes Without a Face” and “White Wedding” while scarcely breaking a sweat (sweat, sweat, sweat…).

Clearly enjoying himself, Idol proved ever the showman. Shaking hands with the audience, gyrating for the ladies and even signing 7-inch albums in the middle of songs (!), the crowd was in his grinning clutches from note one. The venue itself earned high marks as well, providing decent sound with plenty of viewing space throughout. Drinks were astoundingly reasonable as well ($4 for a pint of top shelf booze!?) and the staff was polite and friendly. Coming from seeing most shows in Manhattan, Magic City Music Hall was like an upstate oasis.

Closing out the two-hour long set with a shockingly awesome rendition of Gen-X punk classic “Ready, Steady, Go” and a marathon-worthy “Mony, Mony”, Billy Idol knocked it out of the park with a resounding rebel yell.

JT

More Reviews: Bright Eyes