INXS rocked Chicago!

As an early anniversary gift, I bought my wife and I tickets to see INXS at the Rosemont Theatre in Rosemont, IL. I’ve always been a huge INXS fan, and when Rockstar: INXS was on TV last summer we watched religiously.

Early on, I really wanted JD Fortune to win. I thought he had the right mix of ability and danger to make him a good frontman. As the weeks went on, contestants were dropped one by one, until JD was finally left the winner. I said at the time that he was the perfect new leader for INXS.

Then the album came out, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was really good throughout and I thought JD really added something of his own. He wasn’t just a Michael Hutchense clone. The album is really good in my opinion, and actually ranks up there as one of their best.

Anyway, with the contest done, we really wanted to see them perform live, and we were NOT disappointed. The concert was amazing. Any doubt that we may have had about JD vanished. He was charismatic, vocally spot-on, and a real entertainer. In fact the band let him do what he was supposed to do, lead. The rest of the guys hardly said anything the whole night, they just played the hell outta their instruments. They really seemed to be having fun too. Smiles were abundant, and they really haven’t missed a beat.

As for a setlist, I was hoping to find one online, but failed. They played so many songs that I know I would miss some if I tried to name them all, but they did play seven songs off the new album and most of all the old faves. I don’t remember hearing Beautiful Girl or Listen Like Thieves though, so that was disappointing. And they did a version of Original Sin and a version of Taste It that I just didn’t like. They were around the same time in the middle of the show, and they did all the member introductions and solos around those songs, so I think they suffered for it.

Other than those two misses, everything was rock solid. They started with Suicide Blonde and jumped right into Devil’s Party and they continued mixing in the new with the old favorites.

If you are a fan, and you have a chance to see them live, do so. JD and the guys will make you a believer again!