The Psychedelic Furs

While most know the Psychedelic Furs for the kicky new-wave romp "Pretty in Pink," the origins of the English band are rooted in darker icons like David Bowie and the Velvet Underground. But at its recent Boston show, there were few traces of this moodiness -- namely, a funereal rendition of "Sister Europe," John Ashton's brooding guitar jags, and the sunglasses brothers Tim and Richard Butler sported. In every other respect, the concert felt like an over-the-top Vegas revue, unfortunately. Drummer Frank Ferrer's plodding beats rendered even strident songs like "President Gas" monotonous. Richard Butler's vocals were even more exaggerated: He took the slurring enunciation popularized by the Fall's Mark E. Smith to extremes, rendering the songs off-key or sluggish. What's more, the singer pranced around the stage like that crazy aunt in everyone's family who always drinks too much at Christmas, shaking hands with audience members and doing calisthenics like an aerobics instructor hopped up on Red Bull.