“I like to look into the crowd to see what type of people come to Culture Club shows,” Boy George announced towards the beginning of his set while peering into the front row at the Kauffman Center. He was right to have a look, half the fun of a Culture Club show is seeing the fans. They dress to the nines in every color of fabric, donning all manners of makeup and glitter. When you go to see one of the most well-dressed icons of the 80’s, you put on your Sunday best.

Boy George himself had at least three costume changes throughout the night. His hat matched his jacket and his shoes while he shimmied and danced along with the original band lineup. “Don’t forget to jump around!” he told the audience. “If I look ridiculous and you look ridiculous, then no one’s going to care.” On this tour, they brought along a wide array of musicians– this included sassy backup singers and an exuberant horn section. Culture Club treated their fans to hits like “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?” But they also dived into newer songs and covers. Because they called upon so many reggae influences, it was easy to spend most of the night dancing and out of your seat (as most of the audience was).

Words and photos by Fally Afani