Before there was “shoe gaze”, there was “Echo and the Bunnymen”. Echo and the Bunnymen formed in England in the shadow of punk in 1978. This band is still lead by the haunting, dreamy vocals of Ian McCullough. Echo and the Bunnymen was best known in this country in the mid 80s for songs like “The Killing Moon”, “The Cutter” and “Lips Like Sugar”. However, their early albums received critical acclaim and make the Top 20 charts in the UK. Echo and the Bunnymen are currently keeping suit with bands such as The Pixies, The Cure and The Church by performing classic albums in their entirety.

The band has chosen to resurrect Crocodile (1980) and Heaven Up Here (1981) for their current tour. They played to an impressively large audience on May 5th at The Masquerade. The set was back lit, creating a scene of 6 silhouettes adding to the dramatic moodiness of the show. It is ever interesting to see how bands with such history will apply years of wisdom and living to their art. In the case of Echo and the Bunnymen the application of these qualities made for an evening of  insightful, well played music.