Here's the point. The B-52's have always had a reputation for a kickass live show, and they still rock as hard as they ever have. MAN, what a show.

You need a little context to understand the power of this performance. True, the band isn't all that young, but neither was the audience. Apparently B-52's fans are all middle-aged. Yeah, there were a few (VERY few) youngsters in the house. (They probably came to see those rock legends that their parents always talk about.) But on the whole, we're looking at a median age of 38 or 39. Scary.

But they all got up to dance. ALL of them. Every pot belly in the house danced that mess around. And the Beau Rivage Auditorium is NOT built for dancing. Great seats (yay for cupholders!), no leftover floor space. This did not stop the dancing, it merely delayed the inevitable. Come on! Who can sit down during Love Shack? Let's be serious here!

Song selection ranged over the band's whole career, which makes sense since they were promoting a greatest hits CD. I did notice that they shied away from their painful "middle period" when Ricky died. I don't think a single song was played from the "Bouncing Off The Satellites" album. Big deal. I was just happy to hear Strobe Light and Quiche Lorraine.

The light and sound production were particularly good. I'm used to rock shows blasting my eardrums so hard I can't make out the highs. But every piece of percussion came through clear as a bell, from Cindy's bongos on Planet Claire to Fred's mini-cowbells on Junebug.

(And before anyone points this out in the comments, I'm aware that I'm being a lame old guy saying how nice it was that the rock music wasn't too loud. I embrace my aged, decrepit nature. So there.)

Casino shows have advantages and disadvantages. The downside is that the concert was short, just shy of 2 hours. I definitely left wanting more. I would have loved to hear live versions of Good Stuff or Dry County ... or just about anything else, really. I would have loved to hear more, period.

The upside is that we got to enjoy the Rivage's awesome seafood buffet beforehand. Sadly, while there were lots of tasty crab legs and boiled shrimp, there wasn't any actual rock lobster.

DOWN, down ...

This post originally appeared at soundacious.com