Echo & The Bunnymen @ McDonald Theatre - Eugene, OR

Echo & the Bunnymen, known most for their 80’s hits, “The Killing Moon” and “Lips Like Sugar,” are on a world tour for the newest addition to their discography, The Stars, The Oceans & The Moon. Since 2005, vocalist Ian McCulloch and lead guitarist Will Sergeant remain the only two founding members and currently tour with session musicians. The Stars, The Oceans, & The Moon tour stopped in Eugene, OR at the McDonald Theatre on Saturday, December 1st. 

After Enation opened the show with some acoustic solo pop, Echo & the Bunnymen followed with a balanced blend of fresh and seasoned tracks. The band was tight, recreating even the slightest of nuances from the recorded music. Sadly, however, there were a couple of disappointments. The biggest issue was the inconvenience of multiple stops within the performance. The band left the stage twice in the middle of the show due to “technical difficulties,” which McCulloch later pronounced as lies. He informed the crowd that he had been sick offstage. Perhaps this could attribute to the other sub-par element, which was Ian’s voice. Comparable to karaoke bar attempts at their music, McColloch’s vocals were lackadaisical and inaccurate. 

The iconic group still played an enjoyable concert, chock full of hits, even from other bands, such as “Roadhouse Blues” by The Doors and “Walk on the Wild Side” by Lou Reed. Of course, they couldn’t let the crowd down and not play their famous numbers like “The Killing Moon.”