There is no performer quite like the great Adam Ant (aka Stuart Leslie Goddard). That's because he respects the best of the best: not only musicians and composers, but movie legends like Clint Eastwood, Sergio Leone...Rudolph Valentino. Adam Ant's mystique, therefore, carries powerful, pop-cultural depth, bursting from out a clever, conglomerate that's all his own. He's a crooning Captain Blood, an experimental d'Artagnan, a newfangled Don Quixote: a hero, rogue and dandy, all rolled into one.
His specialized charisma was displayed with audacious vigor when I attended his Anthems concert in Asbury Park, NJ, at the Paramount Theater on July 21 with my brother, Freddy and his lady friend, Terry. And whoa, what a swashbuckling night he and his enthusiastic band bestowed us!!!
For the record, this was Mr. Ant's second date in the second phase of his tour, which is comprised of greatest hits, spanning the artist's late '70s rise through his suave, '80s reign and beyond. Of course, with the tracks came all the dashing nuances that make Adam (and his snappy "Antmusic") so epic, with melodies culled from centuries past, sparked by Ennio Morricone-esque strums and grunts, rocked by jubilant and untamed interludes.
These vast, eclectic ingredients were dispersed throughout the concert's dynamic ascension, ranging from the rousing "Beat My Guest", "Zerox" and "Cartrouble" to the noble-savage/highwayman homages, "Dog Eat Dog", "Kings of the Wild Frontier" and "Stand and Deliver." "Room at the Top", "Vive Le Rock" and "Apollo 9", on the other hand, helped toss a sharp eye on the present and future, bracketed by a brash spirit that recalled the flamboyant exploits of a bygone era. (The sounds were well represented by our hero's leathery, cool attire, which was, in its ironic freshness, fashionably antiquated: the sort of thing that might enter a Mad Max sojourn, where new and old ideally fold.)
Because of the concert's flawless structure, we were assured that we could succeed in any new scheme, by forever forging forth with an intrepid, old-fashioned heart: something that the persuasive Adam Ant has conveyed since his earliest days.
The Anthems concert also reminded us that Adam Ant is the vivacious epitome of uninhibited eccentricity and fun. In fact, I haven't had such a stirring time in decades.
If you'd like to experience the same, be sure to visit Adam Ant along his latest, revival trek at ... https://www.ticketnetwork.com/en/concerts/tickets/rock/adam-ant/c/99012233?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Concerts&utm_content=c&tnk=GOO-[Concerts]-[Adam+Ant]-[%2BAdam+%2BAnt+%2Btour+-+b]-[c]&gclid=CjwKCAjw-dXaBRAEEiwAbwCi5gSLxWRTa1Yw7CKEv72Es1p0u2yo1zj2iE47gx_jgVNndSPe_BvkvBoCM8MQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds.
(BTW, I found the opening act, Prima Donna, a joy to absorb. The band presented the perfect kick and attitude to charge us up for the veteran rocker. Check out the band's video, "4 Real" at ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdGBIoi1m7w. You're guaranteed to get hooked.)
I wish to give special thanks to Terry for treating me to the concert. I meant the world to me. Freddy and I have long wished to see Adam Ant in concert. Terry made that dream come true. The day at Asbury was without question one to remember.
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