When the Pretenders played Wednesday in New York City, they defied what one would traditionally expect from legacy bands who are touring these days. For that particular night at the Bowery Ballroom, the group, led by their legendary singer and rhythm guitarist Chrissie Hynde, played a rather unconventional and very unpredictable setlist of songs that only the true die-hard fans would know and appreciate.
The Pretenders—whose present touring lineup consists of Hynde, guitarist James Walbourne, bassist Nick Wilkinson and drummer Kris Sonne—have been recently doing double duty of late as they are currently opening for Guns N’ Roses on the latter’s stadium tour and headlining their own dates in smaller intimate venues, which was the case with the Big Apple gig.
Throughout the entire evening in front of a packed, sold-out crowd at the Ballroom, the Pretenders suprisingly eschewed so many of their big hits and recognizable tunes like “Brass in Pocket,” “Back on the Chain Gang,” “Middle of the Road,” “Don’t Get Me Wrong,” “Talk of the Town,” “Message of Love,” and “I’ll Stand by You.” That sounds absolutely crazy to omit those famous Pretenders songs, right? But ironically, that’s what made the show so unique and special.
Instead, the 90-minute event centered on some of the Pretenders’ deepest cuts in their back catalog spanning their 40-plus-year recording career—among them “Thumbelina,” “The Adultress,” “Downtown (Akron),” and especially the brilliant and chugging rocker “Time the Avenger” from the 1984 album Learning to Crawl.
But it wasn’t just the older songs that Hynde and company focused on for that show. The Pretenders are also releasing a new record, Relentless, on Sept. 15. They previewed several tracks from it, such as “Losing My Sense of Taste,” which kicked off the set, followed later with “Turf Daddy Accountant,” “Domestic Silence,” “A Love,” and “Let the Sun Come In.” The newer songs fit seamlessly with the earlier material and carry the promise of being future Pretenders classics in their own right.
The Pretenders delivered the goods in lean and mean form, with Hynde leading the way with her voice, which continues to sound timeless and ageless since the group’s formation. Each of the other members had their moments to shine in their muscular playing—and in particular Walbourne, who delivered some rip-roaring and explosive guitar solos.
And in a further nod to their past, the Pretenders returned for an encore with performances of “Precious” and “Tattooed Love Boys,” both off of the classic 1979 self-titled debut album recorded by the original band configuration of Hynde, Martin Chambers, Pete Farndon and James Honeyman-Scott. It was a fitting conclusion to a night that brought the band’s career to full circle amid the delight of their fans.
Set List
Losing My Sense of Taste
A Love
Turf Accountant Daddy
The Adultress
Downtown (Akron)
The Buzz
Domestic Silence
Time the Avenger
Biker
Boots of Chinese Plastic
Don’t Cut Your Hair
Thumbelina
Gotta Wait
You Can’t Hurt a Fool
Tequila
Let the Sun Come In
Junkie Walk
Encore:
Precious
Tattooed Love Boys
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