Culture Cabinet

Forty years after the release of their debut album, “The Hurting,” Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith of Tears for Fears return to the stage for their The Tipping Point Tour: Part II. This tour is a continuation of their 2022 The Tipping Point Tour, in promotion of their 2022 album of the same name. 

Tears for Fears has managed to pull off a sense of cultural staying power that not many bands of their generation can tout. While the band itself has had its own ebbing and flowing (infamously breaking up in 1991, with Orzabal taking the name as a solo act through 1996), the impact of their work, particularly their early work, has crossed generations and maintained their status as classic hits. 

“Songs from the Big Chair,” released in 1985, features what is arguably the band’s signature hits, such as “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” “Head Over Heels,” and “Shout.” While these songs have been consistently woven into pop culture for nearly forty years, having been featured in countless movies and television shows, their recent resurgence on TikTok has gifted the band an appeal to a younger audience who may not have otherwise been as familiar with their work. Orzabal and Smith have deftly adapted to this, welcoming the sudden resurgence of popularity, while maintaining an active (and frankly, clever) presence on TikTok. 

While the main purpose of this tour is to promote the band’s 2022 release, “The Tipping Point,” which receives the most attention in terms of the setlist, there is a keen awareness to the fact that Tears for Fears is best known for their classic 80s hits, and they definitely do not disappoint in that regard. The band opens with “No Small Thing,” the opening track of “The Tipping Point,” setting the tone for the main focus of the tour. They follow the opener with the title song off “The Tipping Point,” before leading into “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” allowing the audience to settle in a little bit, before bringing out the stand out.

From the opening chords of the song, the entire stadium lifts to their feet in thunderous applause. Experiencing this hallmark song from the band live is something of a spiritual experience. This particular song is one that seems to just become synonymous with a particular moment in time, regardless of whenever one may have heard it for the first time. Standing in a crowd of people, knowing each one has their own appreciation for this particular song, hearing thousands of people singing along, is a life affirming experience. And, Orzabal and Smith sound just as fantastic live in 2023 as they did on the album in 1985. Experiencing that song alone is worth the price of admission. 

Which is not to say the rest of the concert isn’t just as enjoyable. The setlist includes other familiar hits, such as “Sowing The Seeds of Love,” and “Mad World,” closing out with “Head Over Heels,” and an encore of “Change” and “Shout.” However, the band will not let you leave without giving “The Tipping Point” its due credit, focusing the middle of the set primarily on that album. While “The Tipping Point” serves as a worthy comeback for the band, being their first album release since 2004, hearing the songs live brings a completely new sense of appreciation. “My Demons” and “Rivers of Mercy” stand out as particularly exceptional live experiences. 

Tears for Fears continues to prove that they are a band that will withstand the test of time, producing hits that resonate with listeners throughout the decades. Offering a high energy show with the perfect mix of new and familiar, Orzabal and Smith bring the audience a phenomenal show, reminding everyone exactly why their music remains so legendary.