Meanwhile, he and the band delivered a big show, despite apparent illness. At one point early on, he curiously paraphrased the late stuntman extraordinaire Evel Knievel, saying, “People don’t pay to see a perfect landing, they pay to see the attempt,” though he later clarified: “I have the flu. I’m not trying to make excuses up here. I’m trying my hardest. I will not give up. I will not give up.”
Opening song • “Wonderful Wonderful.” The title track from the band’s fifth and latest studio album proved an intriguing start, with its sinister synth giving way to a transfixing guitar and bass line, followed by Flowers’ mysterious vocals all pulling in the near-sellout crowd instantaneously.