Caesars Windsor: Pet Shop Boys Make Windsor Electric

Pet Shop Boys live at Caesars Windsor -Sept 27/13

Truth be told, it’s certainly a dress-up love affair when you go and see the Pet Shop Boys (PSB). Not everyone can pull off chic sophistication when it’s paired with glittery outlandish outfits and keep a nonchalant demeanour. But, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe have a tendency to make anything look perfectly normal. Delighting fans with nostalgic synth-pop flavour, cheeky, cynical (with that hint of romanticism), and brilliant lyrics, the night at Caesars Windsor proved that fabulous really does come at any age.

The pre-show was completely unexpected, but a great surprise, as programmer of PSB, Pedro Gonzales did his DJ set that really kicked things up by spinning hard-hitting and energy-filled tracks.

The Pet Shop Boys truly know how to make an entrance. You immediately feel transported by the stunning visceral experience, as  the opening track Axis started to play. Using video projections and creating a hypnotic laser light show throughout the night, it was a surreal experience where you felt lost in time.

Tennant’s vocals were amazing, and there is something about a British man saying, “Thank you Windsor,” and “Ontario,” that just makes you proud of where you live.

The set list was plentiful with the show lasting about an hour and 40 minutes. The focus seemed to be more on the albums that we have all grown to love over the years. However, the songs they did play from their new disk, Electric, were sensational and really showed the musical style and progression of sound from the duo.

It was a shame though that Love Is A Bourgeois Construct was not performed because I could listen to that over and over again.

Of course West End Girls, Rent, It’s A Sin, and Domino Dancing were hits with the crowd. And the two encores, Go West and Vocal, got everyone out of their seats to sing and dance along.

The diversity of the crowd was also refreshing, as you saw just about everyone from their 20's and up, and from all walks of life.

Overall, the Pet Shop Boys’ performance was the most exhilarating and wildly creative performance that I have ever had the pleasure of seeing at Caesars Windsor with my partner, Bill, and our friend Tim, who we are convinced has loved PSB from birth.

Now, I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind Of Thing and end a review with song lyrics, but PSB will be Always On My Mind.

Enjoy some Pet Shop Boys footage!