Psychedelic Furs bring it back to the '80s at the Carnegie Music Hall of Oakland

I’ll admit that I wasn’t alive for the 1980s, but some music can make you feel nostalgic for things you’ve never experienced.

So it was with the Psychedelic Furs at Carnegie Music Hall of Oakland on Wednesday night. The new wave band joyfully served up their ’80s hits in a 17-song set that journeyed throughout their discography.

Hailing from London and revolving around the constant center of brothers Richard and Tim Butler, the Furs have four appearances in the Billboard Hot 100 under their belts, all in the ’80s. That includes “Pretty in Pink,” from the 1986 film of the same name. After a 30-year dry period, the band released their most recent studio album, “Made of Rain,” in 2020. Several songs from that recent record made their way onto Wednesday’s setlist, and they blended in nicely with the older standbys.

Speaking of the age of new wave, the opener was no slouch in that scene, either. Known for one of the most insidiously catchy earworms of all time, Gary Numan played for almost an hour before the headliners came on.

Now, knowing his song “Cars” (as so many do), my expectations were a tad different from the reality of seeing Numan live. Instead of spare and futuristic synth pop, the audience was greeted with a blast of industrial-sounding rock that called to mind early Nine Inch Nails. That wasn’t a bad thing; the mixture of heavy synth sounds, blaring guitars and impassioned drums made for a compelling hour of music in between undulating pillars of colorful light. It may have been difficult to understand what Numan was singing, but he cut an impressive figure onstage.

And, of course, he played “Cars.” It’s still stuck in my head.

The Psychedelic Furs were a different matter, less frenetic and more highly polished from the moment the came onstage. Lead singer Richard Butler, who cut a dapper figure in a suit, wasn’t very talkative outside of a few thank you’s during song transitions. But he strutted the stage all through the set, waving his arms, pumping his fists and even leaning down to shake hands with spectators in the front row.

They kicked off with 1984 U.K. hit “Heaven,” full of zippy synth that set the stage for the rest of the show. Butler’s voice has always been low and rich, and though he sounded a bit scratchy in his advancing age (he’s 69), the distinctive timbre of his vocals remained recognizable, and he seemed to warm up more as the night went on.

The third song saw the first appearance of the band’s newer album with “Wrong Train,” which had Butler showing off with mournful theatricality that made the tune memorable. Not long after, their hit song “The Ghost In You” got cheers from the audience and dazzled with layered vocals and music.

Drummer Zack Alford was an onstage standout. He joined the band in 2021 and absolutely owned several songs during the night, showing off nimble little tricks and flourishes during “No-One,” also one of the newer songs. He also provided the hard-hitting backing beat for the twirly “So Run Down,” making it a highlight along with Butler’s delivery of the lyrics.

Keyboard player Amanda Kramer pulled out all the stops as well. Being the particular brand of post-punk ’80s new wave pop that the Furs specialize in, synthesizers are pretty important. Kramer shone during the iconic synth line of mid-tempo hit “Love My Way,” which was also a standout performance for the lower register of Butler’s dramatic vocals.

Of course, when the stage lights turned pink, everyone knew what was coming. Even if it weren’t famously in a movie, “Pretty in Pink” would sound like a soundtrack song. Alford’s drums lent a sense of drama to the chorus and Butler’s flipping hand gestures and hip swivels delivered just the right touch of rock-star swagger.

They closed the regular set with their earliest U.S. hit, “Heartbreak Beat.” which felt big, carefree and a fitting closer for a set full of nostalgia. Their lone encore song was “India,” a more classic rock tune with pounding drums and guitar that resolved from opening fuzz to crisp riffs. Though a bit monotonous, it was a punchy way to end a set of songs that may have all sounded similar but still all sounded like the 1980s at their best.

Now I just have to get “Cars” out of my head.