Photos by Andy Argyrakis

The project that put English synth pop stars Soft Cell on the international map, “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret,” just turned 40 and vocalist Marc Almond is marking the occasion with an extremely limited run of a mere five dates across the States (originally slated to be with fellow co-founding keyboardist David Ball, who is sitting out due to a fractured vertebrae).

Actually, it’s been at least half that long since the group previously visited Chicago’s Metro, and thankfully the House Of Blues made the cut this round as well with Grammy-winning producer/frequent collaborator Philip Larsen standing in for Ball, attracting fans of practically all ages, who literally flew in from all over America.

In addition to looking back, Soft Cell was recently revived by “Stranger Things” and also released the album “*Happiness Not Included,” which once again found “Bruises On All My Illusions,” “Happy Happy Happy” and “Nostalgia Machine” all aiming towards the dance floor as they addressed a variety of world affairs.

Those current cuts intersected with several older ones (“Torch,” “Heat,” “The Art Of Falling Apart”), but no matter the era, everything sounded fresh and fantastic courtesy of the primary singer, his substitute partner, a saxophone/flute player and three background vocalists.

The true test came when revisiting the entire “Cabaret” collection, though Almond and company were already well on the way to passing from the start of “Frustration” and sealed the deal after everyone chanted along to the massive “Tainted Love.”

As it progressed, “Seedy Films,” “Chips On My Shoulder” and “Bedsitter” were amongst the many that were at the forefront of electronic exploration, while simultaneously sewing the earliest seeds of what would eventually become the techno explosion.

Soft Cell could also craft its way around a bittersweet ballad, as evidenced in the sublime “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye,” which earned a second life at the hands of troubadour David Gray, although there was nothing better than hearing how the emotive ballad began.

For the encore, a reprise of “Tainted Love” was bridged with “Where Did Our Love Go,” as was often customary in the clubs, ending on a truly euphoric note, especially if this winds up being the last time these irresistible tunes ever come to town.

For additional information on Soft Cell, visit SoftCell.co.uk.

Upcoming concert highlights at House Of Blues include Calum Scott (Aug. 31); The Fixx (Sept. 6); Stick To Your Guns (Sept. 8); Grits & Biscuits (Sept. 9); House Of Burlesque (Sept. 10); C-Kan, MC Davo and Dharius (Sept. 11); Pi’erre Bourne (Sept. 16); Emo Night Brooklyn (Sept. 17); Caifanes (Sept. 18); Joyner Lucas (Sept. 19); Omah Lay (Sept. 20); In Flames (Sept. 22); Here Come The Mummies (Sept. 23); Aleman (Sept. 28); Daoi Freyr (Sept. 29) and Mark Hubbard & The Voices (Sept. 30). For additional details, visit LiveNation.com.

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