Photos by Andy Argyrakis

So many aspects of 1980s were defined by Boy George & Culture Club, from a brilliant blend of new wave, soul and reggae sounds, to pushing the envelope with gender fluid fashions and becoming a fixture on MTV.

However, the group’s legend has only grown in the subsequent decades, thanks in part to George going solo and being further embraced as an international gay icon, then at least a couple major comebacks centered around 1999’s “Don’t Mind If I Do” and 2008’s “Life.”

In fact, the fearlessly flamboyant front man, guitarist Roy Hay and bassist Mikey Craig have more or less stayed together ever since, and minus fellow original drummer Jon Moss, got right back to playing prominent places like the Hard Rock Live Northern Indiana.

Luck was once again on the casino’s side as the current Culture Club, five backing musicians and two supporting vocalists gave the full house their favorites, in addition to interpretations of others surrounding the same period and several brand new selections totaling two hours.

Fans were greeted by the punk-ish approach of The Clash’s “London Calling” and a promise that “The Next Thing Will Be Amazing,” which included a mash-up of “Church Of The Poison Mind” with Wham!’s “I’m Your Man,” “It’s A Miracle” and Prince’s “Purple Rain,” but they didn’t honor a humorously mistaken request for Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like The Wolf.”

Instead, the affable, unifying and age-defying Boy George, who’s shockingly 64, brought his own “King Of Everything,” followed by the band’s latest bop “Letting Things Go,” plus turned the “Time (Clock Of The Heart”) back towards “Do You Really Want Hurt Me” and “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya.”

The upcoming and older cuts continued to co-mingle, such as the contemporary flavors of “The Lion And The Gemini,” “Faster” and “She’s Lying,” alongside the gliding retro grooves of “Miss Me Blind” and David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.”

Boy George & Culture Club also channeled the psychedelic rock of The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy For The Devil” and a local debut of the charging “Skinhead Stomp,” though it was their cheery “Karma Chameleon” and the quieter yet equally optimistic epilogue “Don’t Give Up” that had the Hard Rock rejoicing over another gratifying return.

For additional information on Boy George & Culture Club, visit BoyGeorgeAndCultureClub.net.

Upcoming shows at Hard Rock Live Northern Indiana include Fey (Mar. 8); Chris Tucker (Mar. 28); Tyler Henry (Mar. 29); Kenny Wayne Shepherd (Apr. 24); The Temptations and The Four Tops (May 2); Lorna Shore (May 14); Northwest Indiana Symphony: “The Music Of Tina Turner” (May 22); Foghat and Nazareth (May 23). For additional details, visit HardRockCasinoNorthernIndiana.com.

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