Dec. 17--Deadpan and robotic, Gary Numan made a mark in pop music not only for his detached music for a new industrial age, but because dude was flat-out weird.
He will be visiting Metro for a three-night residency, May 15-17, to perform his three classic albums, "Replicas," "The Pleasure Principle" and "Telekon," each in its entirety.
And even if the deadpan visage has, thanks to time and the ravages of age, become just kinda mopey, these dates will be on the calendar for fans of the pop musician and (in many ways) electronica pioneer who is best known for the huge hit, "Cars."
Robots were all the rage at that time, as Devo was also capering about in flowerpots and yellow jumpsuits, an antidote to the '80s synth stuff, hair metal and the nasty strains of punk that were taking root in the mainstream. Numan stepped back from all that in a way that was, in the right mood, captivating.
But his most memorable song for many wasn't "Cars," but "Down in the Park," a live performance from the film "Urgh! A Music War." Numan, reclined in a chair that glides around a fog-wreathed stage, bleats lyrics in that odd, quavering voice of his, all set to music that could be a soundtrack for Fritz Lang's "Metropolis." It's cool, wonderful and essential.
Tickets for the Numan dates go on sale 10 a.m. Friday, at www.etix.com. For more information, visit Metro's website.
