Before we say one word, let us celebrate the Man, the Icon, the Legend. Many happy returns to Curt Smith!! He’s celebrating his birthday today! It’s such an incredible week because he also has his wedding anniversary on the 29^th. We adore him to the moon and back. We appreciate him for making our lives, we dare say and we’re speaking for many, worth living! He has literally kept us alive in countless ways! Wishing him an incredible year ahead and lots of love, prosperity and joy throughout 2025 and beyond! It is a struggle to refrain from writing him everyday to tell him how much we appreciate him. Seriously! He just goes all out. Sweet children, wonderful wife, very kind brothers; the Smith family is where it’s at! When he and Roland walk out on that stage, life just reaches another level of awesome! Wishing them all a great year ahead and super happy birthday to Mr. Smith! Infinite love for him!!!

Kinda don’t need to put this here because most of our subscribers already know that Tears for Fears are returning (just like Roland said back in February) to Fontainebleau in September and October of this year.

Tears for Fears will be performing a total of 6 shows (3 in September and 3 in October). Tickets went on sale the day after the announcement with the official Artist Presale taking place on the 4th of June. Suprisingly, there were not a lot of issues grabbing seats this time. About three people reported the usual struggle with credit card companies suddenly freezing accounts expecting fraud (you’d think the system would stop flagging the purchases by now given all we do is buy concert tickets, pay healthcare/healthclub fees , plane rides and groceries). We counted three complaints on Instagram and one on Threads. Otherwise, it was a decent experience. Gargantuan thanks to Tears for Fears for making Artist Presale a very reasonbable price of $217-$500 after taxes and fees. Platinum, from what we saw on the concert map, is not part of the APS. Those prices are currently in the 700s to 1000s+. We do have one second row center seat available on the 25th of October (a Saturday) if anyone is interested. It is well under the current resale prices.

We expect that this show will feature the new music from Songs for a Nervous Planet. We have a set list floating around for those that want to be familiar with the music ahead of time…that’s a thing we do. We like to know up front so we can sing with the band and let them know we appreciate their work.

Should You Go? Again? Yes, here’s why…

It is a straight forward opportunity to stay in an exceptionally nice venue, attend an indoor show free of the troubles of outdoor challenges such as possible rain and excessive heat. In both 2022 and 2023 we experienced some weather related issues (e.g. Texas) that left a few fans saying they would not be returning to certain venues. It’s also a chance to see Tears for Fears multiple times in one place vs. literally scrambling to get back to the hotel and rush to the airport the next morning or attempt to drive overnight to the next city to be on time. We’re so grateful that this curated event gives many a chance to really relax and play for several days. If you’re having issues with attending and need some help, reach out and let us know what your challenges are so we can work through it with you and help find a solution. Fair warning we do conduct extreme logistics to make it possible.

A note from the Moderator – Andye Mod

In our most recent update here in the archives, we were just about to board the plane to go to Las Vegas for the second part of the Tears for Fears mini-residency at Fontainebleau. Let me interject that after the long week there in February, some of us read the entire history of Fontainebleau and it’s not pronounced as one globalist might assume. It’s actually “fountain blue.” It’ll always be Fontainebleau to me but I digress…

Several of us went for pure music therapy with medical teams in tow. Boy were they needed! Soon as we touched down and got settled, text messages came in about people arriving ill. I will save you the details of their graphic sickness but whatever was going around affected a lot of people. I went forward with the dinner party (same menu as last time) minus a few key folks. We discussed our topic of the quarter which is “what is the craziest thing you’ve done to get to a show or extend your time on a Tears for Fears Tour?” Right now, Lisa and Elana take the cake!

We also discussed the music of the many musicians in the fold including Lady Lauren’s new album, the songs on which she’s been featured past and present and her fun online gatherings through the Affirmations series. Fans spent a good two hours discussing the ins and outs of the songs and goings on of Soul Twin Messiah. We took a peek at Mr. Orzabal’s pal, Julian Lennon’s, latest and Mr. Lennon’s health update. It was quite a loaded late night of fun.

Big kudos to long time fans from Tears for Fears Boston, San Francisco and Nevada for spending so much time with everyone after super long drives, 5+ hour flights and workdays. It made that incredible bed feel all the more comforting. Speaking of, Lady Diva Smith stayed at Fontainbleau with her sweet bunny in tow. We adore that beautiful bunny on the blanket!

Her mother, The Good Lady Frances – Lady FP was there as well. So cool to have them around. They are so awesome. Yes, I brought an extra pair of TB earrings for the occasion. #iykyk

31 January Show

The first night was stellar. I learned later during one of the late night chats that the band records their work. I’m not sure exactly what that means and me being the non-nosy parker will not be asking. However, they have a playback of their show and I imagine from my own experience in music and media since age 13 that it’s to listen out for any issues or things that may need correction. Either way, they sound phenomenal to me. Though Curt jokingly pointed out some snaffoos. Of course, we in the audience barely noticed the issues he noted. We were just happy to be there!!

It was a very crisp and clean show. Super smooth! They did gift us with a few stories and dear Mr. Orzabal confirmed that his good lady dear Emily is indeed expecting a child (see first video). We, in the fandom, are excited for them and look forward to any updates they wish to share but are not going to pester them nor their families (or Curt) about the status of the child. When they are good and ready they will let us know and if they don’t that’s fine too. One must remind oneself that a band offers a product of songs and that is what we pay for…anything else is a bonus. We got what we paid for…songs in a live show. To expect anything else is borderline entitlement. I’m saying this to myself as well ::turns off How to Babysit Like an Expert audiobook::

Curt was kind to let us know that he and the band were fine regarding the wildfires that broke out in their area. They were forced to evacuate one night and were able to return home the next. It was a hair raising time for us as fans because we were on the phone, Zoom and other methods of communication watching the fires creep near their houses. All kinds of fasting, prayer and a number of spiritual rituals were taking place as well as slipping in messages stating, “If you need to postpone, just do it. We’ll figure something out.” Lauren noted she felt things would be great by showtime but I personally wanted them to just wait and let things settle down. My concern was they’d be on stage only to get a note that something happened. Then they’d have to rush home to attend to it. Thankfully all went extremely well. Again, that first night was strong and beautiful. Very sorry for fans who arrived so ill they had to miss all the shows and fly right back home. Huge thanks to Fontainebleau staff who were swift to the rescue with all the medical attention needed to get people in a state well enough to even get on a plane.

Also loved Curt’s chit chat re: Las Vegas…

1 February

Early that morning after a gift of delicious gluten free bagels piled high with all the accoutrement one could wish for (Thank you Lisa and Elana), there was physical therapy for me and connect sessions for fans. Those who were trying to rearrange their schedules to get there were successful. Despite some Ticketmaster snaffoos and miscommunications we were able to transfer a lot of the extra tickets we had to fans who could finally get the time they needed to be in attendance. I’ll leave my Ticketmaster/Live Nation thoughts to myself and continue to say I really wish there was a way that we could pay the band directly. It would feel so much better. Again, for those who are always curious about the logistics and true cost of these excursions, we can have that conversation in our “financing a tour” Zoom call which is recorded for transparency. We still recommend having tour soup for a few months each year if you can stand it. *There is an improved one fortified with vitamins. We’re working on a tour soup cookbook as well. We’ll discuss it on Substack.

That night after our ritual prayers before the show, we gathered and took photos. All around us were familiar faces (see what I did there?) and some just coming in from surgeries. It should be noted, come hell or high water, Tears for Fears fans show up! One fan in Germany dropped everything, got freshly tattooed and hopped on a plane to attend every single show saying, “I wish I had done this sooner!”

Fans flew in from Michigan, Toronto, Northern California, Florida, England, Minnesota, New York and several other far off places. These were fans who make it a point to always support Tears for Fears. A few did mention that due to the outcome of the election in November they were not interested in participating in anything in the states. They were protesting the nation regarding the historical comments made by certain members of the current administration. Those fans were missed and we hope that they’ll feel comfortable joining Tears for Fears events in the future.

Rumours & Thieves

There was rumour of one guy who allegedly waited until everyone was entering the venue then slipped in with the crowd. He had been watching an empty seat on Ticketmaster/Live Nation and allegedly was able to claim the ticket by using a screenshot on his phone? The usher allegedly didn’t scan it but just looked at it? How that is possible is beyond many of us. We can’t even walk to the front without getting checked. Again, this is hearsay. Someone told us after the fact. There were also some rather pricey seats on the front row center ($2500 resale seats) that two ladies tried to take. They had been watching the empty seats and went to the front just before the show started. A fellow fan let security know that those were not their seats and they were just hoping to get away with sitting there. The venue staff asked to see their tickets and both ladies just stared at him without saying a word. He asked again and then one of the ladies made the universal sign of “capiche” but that didn’t fly at all. They were asked to move back to their seats on the far-right side of the venue. The two front frow resale seats they attempted to take remained empty the rest of the night but you couldn’t tell because all of us on the front row were standing (except me from time to time due to this illness/injury). No one was the wiser.

My advice to resellers is to just stop. Those tickets retailed at $950 each and there were at least six that were purchased and put up for resale at over $2000 each…again, they all remained empty. Tears for Fears fans (many) literally perch like trick-or-treaters waiting on the next information snack packet to be handed out from the proverbial band candy basket. We know how much we’re going to spend and what seat we’re going to sit in long before it’s ever put on the map. Some of us have been sitting in the same section, same seat since 2012. Attempting to scam us out of hard-earned money that we use to go to these shows for our physical, emotional and mental health will not work. Try it on someone else, do not try it out on us.

A Kind Word From Roland

Roland acknowledged that many of us were attending all the shows. We learned from Curt during one of the coveted chit chats, that Jamie was so dedicated he decided to play on even after a very tough day battling an illness/bad cold. It was the heart of winter and, as mentioend, many sicknesses were going around. It’s a miracle he was even able to play at all. Again, very sorry to the fans who arrived sick after long plane rides and had to be attended to by Fontainebleau staff then eventually go right back home without even hearing one song. Thank you, Jamie for going the extra mile. That was surely difficult.

While on stage, Roland told Andye that the set list would be a bit different that night. He said they were moving some things around (there’s video of that conversation somewhere). We didn’t know what that meant. He also asked Andye which of his ensembles she liked best, his dark suave jacket or the winter white that he wore in 2024.

“I think he looks absolutely smart in both but told him I love the white one. I said that so that he’d know the self-depreciating jokes he made about himself in October/November re: looking like the Ghost of Christmas Past didn’t suit him (pun intended). He looked more like a smoking hot debonair rock dude, not a “character” in any form or fashion. It was rather upsetting to hear him say that about himself although I know he’s just joking. Still, I want him to own his Righteous Rock Royalty role. He joked that he’d dropped blancmange down the front of the white jacket ::cue the dry cleaners please::. He could turn up wearing a burlap sack and still rock it like no other in my opinion! Werrrk it, Mr. O!” – Andye Mod

Carina and Lauren’s interactions remained a highlight of the event. We really love what they bring to these concerts and many of us are willing to pay whatever it takes to support having everyone currently involved to remain involved. They each put so much energy into their craft. Yes, we have heard these songs live already and yes we get a terrible tinge of sadness as soon as we hear the opening chords of Head Over Heels just before the encore because that means the concert is almost over. But my goodness, we wouldn’t give this up for much of anything.

We learned that it was an abbreviated show. A few songs were missing but it was still an excellent night. Several of us were just happy we didn’t have to go home yet. We still had several days of music therapy and a taste of what a future life with Tears for Fears will be like (*cough* TFF Music Commune of Condos *cough*).

Rock n Roll Respite

The 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th we were on our own to do whatever we wanted. Andye went to water and physical therapy, others went running up and down the Vegas strip taking pictures and some sat in the Promenade people watching with fans for several hours. Medical teams were still attending to fans and band fan loyalists were checking on Jamie making sure he was hydrated and healing. Our Lady Lauren had gone home to L.A. and was also resting. Other fans tried out some cool restaurants and iconic spots on the Vegas strip.

It was a much needed three days of rejuvenation and that’s what we’re hoping we see in the next “band fan wish” of a Tears for Fears retirement condo community. LOL. We have already envisioned it. Fontainebleau’s social team thought it was fun and funny. They even retweeted our idea of it back in November before we went home from the first mini-res. Why not invest in a little real estate owned by the band…we’ll be privy to random shows surely! We laugh but we do discuss the idea a lot. Some even cancelled desperately needed home repairs with the hope of the possibility to invest. Those nights knowing the band was nearby and we were just “living” in their midst was an unmatched euphoria. Bring on the forever homes! If Jimmy Buffet can maintain residential property for his fans (may his soul rest) so can Tears for Fears! Call the mortgage brokers, liquidate the retirement residential funds and let’s do this thing!

5 February Show Moderator Notes

“This was my 40^th time seeing Tears for Fears in performance/attending a Tears for Fears event. It was also Jamie’s 15^th anniversary with the band. I still remember seeing him in those early days…particularly 2014 just before the band played The Working Hour at The Wiltern… he came by and said a quick hello to those of us who’d been outside perched since 1pm for their 9pm show. It was gen am back in those days – we don’t miss that hard concrete or sleeping outside. Check out this photo I keep in my phone. Look at that smile. Bless him. 🙂

I was in my 6th or 7th year committed to the travel fan life and I feel unbelievably fortunate to have made it this long. The band has seen me at my best and worst, sickness and in better health. I’ve made some good decisions and some pretty pitiful ones too. Thankfully they’ve been super gracious and patient through it all. I show up as much as I can. Huge thanks to all involved for letting me take part in all the pleasantries of fan life. Each show has been so unique it’s impossible to say which ones were better than others though there are plenty that stand out including the Hollywood Bowl, Oklahoma 2014, The Wiltern 2014, Brit Week 2012, being a part of The Tipping Point movie and these the residencies…which are a miracle and answered prayer!

I sat second row this time vs. first. I didn’t want to ‘be in their face’ like that a third night and possibly risk them getting sick of me. Craig, Lisa, Elana and many others happily persisted through as well having been there in November and for all these additional shows in February. We really gelled and it was good to see Danny, Mike, Yara, our Toronto family, Rachel and her husband, Hadleigh and her family and our dearest Christine and Shelley plus so many others in the aforementioned cities plus the Brasileira European couple that have been to every single tour since 1985. It’s a whole other world, dimension, time and space being around that kind of energy. I have yet to have seen anything compare in my few decades on this planet. I was born the year before Roland and Curt moved forward as “Tears for Fears.” I can still feel the energy of hearing their music for the first time as a child. I still get that same soaring feeling of being lifted right into the cosmos when they walk out on stage. They have elevated us to the euphoric realm of astronauts in outer space and I pray we get to stand by them for a lifetime.”

7 February Show

Craig, Joe from Toronto, Anastasia and friends from San Diego and Santa Clara were there for the final show of the February residency. Roland delighted in his third child on the way and there was a lot of support for this series which allows us to go to the band vs. them flying our way. A lot of us prefer it because it gives us more time and is easier to “go live with them” for a few days vs. trying to hop planes and follow them from city to city. We know many can’t go stay in Vegas for extended periods of time but when one looks at the cost from a travel fan perspective, this was the most economical set of shows we’ve had in a while. No, it was not cheap, most travel isn’t… but it gave us time to be together in a different way. They also nearly sold out yet again. That concert seat map filled up toward the end once the wildfires subsided and people were able to get their schedules sorted. Very sorry for the fans that couldn’t manage it due to the disasters. You were missed and we hope you’re doing better. Here are some snippets from the events…

Gargantuan thanks to the staff at Fontainebleau for the incredible hospitality. As always all our love to the band, their families and fellow fans who make life worth living…we mean that in every sense. The post show superfanitis was so intense this time, a few of us were literally doubled over in pain. Some could barely get through the day. It’s a situation.

Ending on a high note, the band did a very kind gesture of signing items for a fan who was up front. You can see that in the video. Thank you, Craig, for caputuring that. This is a rare scene so congrats to those recipients.

Deep Dives & Podcasts

There were two interviews that stood out recently. One was the conversation that Curt had back in October before we headed out to Vegas for the first part of the residency. It wasn’t published until Q1 2025. It is excellent! Here it is: Rock & Roll Highschool interview with Pete Ganbarg.

Then there was the one with Song Exploder. It was also a double deep dive with both Mr. Smith and Mr. Orzabal adding information that we do not have in the archives. The spirit of both interviews is very bright and you can sense a joy in the interaction between the three of them. Hopefully it’s still available so everyone can listen.

What we’ve noticed is these music shows and podcast hosts of late are doing their homework vs. asking the band about the same thing over and over or harping on that which is not to be spoken of… They are indeed focused on the intricate nature of the music, the deeper meaning, the behind-the-scenes production and engineering plus musical influences of their formative years. In these welcomed deeper dives we loyalists have been given so much more information on top of the incredible things that Dave Mason and Nihal Arthanayake gathered for us back in 2022-2024.

Blueberry-Pineapple Smoothie Curt

Curt attended PsychODelphia which is the Psych conference that may become an annual thing. He was reunited with his buddies James Roday and Dule Hill plus the cast and crew. Several fans went and notably History from the Big Chair was there and got some great photos. Journey to Events provided photos which are what you see below from thier IG. We hope there will be another Psych movie and can’t wait to hear about future conferences. This one was well thought out, highly accommodating from what we could see and also featured several symbols that those in the know would easily recognise and enjoy. Andye the Mod actually owned a Blueberry/Blue Yaris up until Tour 2022. That thing saw some shows (well, the parking lots of many shows)!

Songs from the Big Chair turned 40 years old on the 25^th of February this past quarter. We all celebrated online and coincidence or not, thought we were the first to post a group activity, and no we’re not in competition with their social media team wherever they are, but we suggested that everyone contribute a video of themselves singing. We of course loved the video of Lady Tamara singing EWTRTW and having an excellent time at Transmissions – the incredible party hosted by the awesome DJ Jake Rudh in Minnesota. Much like the success of Richard Blade that helped bring the joy of Tears for Fears to the states, DJ Rudh has indepth parties that go above and beyond your typical 80s top 40 bash. He plays deep tracks from ALL the bands. We’re so excited our Tamara has a great relationship with their programme and continues to represent the Tears for Fears fandom at those events. Video coming soon!

The rest of us had a big slice of cake – all kinds: chocolate, gluten free cheesecake, cookies and then several sprinted out to the featured one-off of Everybody Wants to Run the World (yes run…it exists, surely you didn’t forget about this song) to burn off the excess of sugar and honour Curt’s iconic running days he used to share. Also celebrating a milestone are The Tipping Point in year 3 and the 45^th year of Acting My age by Graduate. Artist Ade Beanhead Pridham created some outstanding art to match. Amanda BT has displayed a lot of it plus some other great ones.

Appearances

The Hurting was featured in the series The Last of Us – episode from 4 May. For those that know Andye’s involvement with that part of the television industry, she says she didn’t have anything to do with that. However, she does have their photo everywhere possible and is not the only fan in that area of the television industry. We’re all hoping that The Tipping Point movie does end up on a streaming service soon.

There’s more…

Lady Lauren Evans has new music! She was also invited to sing the National Anthem again at the 15 May L.A. Dodgers game. That’s at least the third time she’s been their guest. Pretty darn cool.

View this post on Instagram

Lauren also hosted her 4^th and 5^th Affirmations series – both of which included a sound bath for attendees – and will have had a 6th by the time this note goes out. These sessions are so good. She also sang on the 5^th one. That was healing for several of us. If you have not attended one of her weeklong online interactions that culminates with the Afterglow Party, you should. It’s not a gender based event, it’s a harmonious session for humans and we love it! Participants get a chance to really sit down and look at their lives, their perspective and change course if needed with her guidance. We do not offload our woes to Lauren in these sessions but we do feel further guided in efforts to take better care ourselves. Lauren’s Affirmations sessions are highly recommended.

She’s also opened her Pen Alchemy Academy which is suited for song writers. If you’re looking to write music, join it. You’ll be in good hands!

Carina Round

Lady Carina also has new music and hosted an online concert experience from her January 2024 shows. The package came with a lot of cool things and she signed (on camera) the vinyls. Several fans flocked online to enjoy it. It was an overwhelmingly incredible event in that she gave more than her level best. She left it all on the stage as some say.

“I tried to hold it together but ended up crying uncontrollably by the 42nd minute mark. Her concert was soooo good!” – Andye Mod

Hopefully she has another opportunity for fans to enjoy her music. She extended this one to the 8th of June. That gave everyone plenty of time to watch. But still hope she does another. She also has really cool merch. So for those that constantly tell us how much you like her, show her some love at the online merch table. Carina also had a birthday on the 20^th of April. Hope everyone got a chance to wish her many happy returns!

Professor Doug Petty (read that again, Professor Doug Petty… mmmm dontcha just love how awesome it is to have so much education and talent in one band?), shared this cool gradutation photo. Many will remember that Doug teaches at USC Thorton School of Music. Yes, we tried to take his class but some of us are remote and we can’t seem to find that opportunity in the course options. Hoping to get into some music theory classes with him and anything else he’s involved in there …education is a magic key!

The Drummer Genius Jamie Wollam is sitting in a state of nirvana with his craft. We say that because how can one improve on blessed perfection like his? He has a lot to offer on his website and continues to be interviewed by music shows as well as share what’s new in his world. Be sure to drop some hearts on his Instagram profile and follow him there.

Charlton and Gootch share a birthday on the 13^th of February. We really need to sit down to dinner with both of them and just listen to everything they have to say. We’ll have our annual reading of Charlton’s Book “Exit Strategy” in August (could do with a book signing to be honest). We’ll also be looking to visit (as a group) his additional media industry work that he completed last year.

Tears for Fears’ Band Family and Alumni

Oleta Adams celebrated her 72^nd birthday on the 4^th of May. We wish her many happy returns and lots of love as she continues to find joy in retirement from touring. We miss her and look forward to seeing her at other events.

Nicky Holland also had a birthday on the 20^th of February. Here’s one of her solo songs that we all love so much.

The Marvelous Artists in the band’s family are sweeping and swooshing their paint brushes plus perfecting pictures with their pens. Curt Smith’s youngest daughter, Lady Wilder, recently did portraits for patrons at an establishment. They turned out absolutely super. Raoul won additional awards including RISE Emerging Artist and has been praised in the art society for his excellent and detailed work. Both Lady Wilder and Mr. Orzabal create worlds that you can get lost in for hours.

“I know I’m not the only one who has spent a significant amount of time meandering through their incredible designs and detailed work. You come out of that wishing it was something you could literally step into and maybe never come out! They create the most glorious worlds!” – Andye Mod

Curt’s eldest daughter, Lady Diva Smith, has released two new singles. Both are incredible and have been on repeat in Tears for Fears fan land. They each have videos that we love. She also was part of a very well conducted interview with B-sidestv. You can watch that here:

Rock n Stroll Tours Bath (in Bath UK)

Cool guy Shaun Smith and the beloved John Baker have launched their Rock n Stroll Walking Tour in the great city of Bath. As many will remember our Lady Tamara was privy to such a glorious experience that included a personal tour with the renowned Dave Mason of the media and broadcast industry. To step into history and take the path of the beloved Bath musicians we swoon over daily is certainly sacred. Fans are quickly queuing up for this opportunity. Be sure to put this on your travel list. They also were featured on Radio Bath. This interview won’t last forever, but here it is for now. If you come back in a year and it’s gone, we’re so sorry. You may want to reach out to Dave Mason and team to get a copy.

The Way You Wear It?

People are making their own Tears for Fears merch. It’s become a situation. LOL. There are rugs, bags and so much more. We do enjoy what the band has provided but we’re also diggin’ the phone cases that we’ve seen in the forum and in general. Thanks to those not selling their image and making money from it because that’s a copyright infringement and we don’t want to be rude to the band that heals us.

Musicians Among Us

Soul Twin Messiah released a really good golden nugget of a song called …Only Gold Matters Now and “It’s a Day Worth Imagining.” It’s perfect timing as the economy went bizerk at the time of the release. Not to get deeply political but good gracious it was a wild ride out there and this song was quite comforting in the midst of the angst. As mentioned, STM has a YouTube channel and they are more than just musicians, they are Tears for Fears fans and humanitarians among us. Several of us have spent many a night and early morning watching their content.

When we as fans are together in person we brainstorm and discuss how to give back and improve the society around us. After much research that began almost one year ago thanks to Sharron Foxx, another musician in the fold with great ties to legends in the industry, a few of us literally found the answer to many of the things we’ve been discussing…in STM’s recent work.

This quarter we suggest focusing on the history of how we got to where we are now. When one looks at the origins and influences of Songs from the Big Chair, a lot of people go straight to The Beatles. Roland has spoken in depth about SOL and in the recent interviews mentioned other musicians’ work that was in their ear at the time of production. Go back and revisit those interviews and you’ll “hear” songs like “Woman in Chains” in a whole new way. We certainly did! We have more of an appreciation for it now than ever before.

“What does this all have in common with our love for Tears for Fears? Counter Culture. I won’t go into the deep dive, I’ll save that for our next Substack article (oh yeah, we’ve moved off Facebook and on to Substack– details later). But take it upon yourself to understand the root of this music which can be seen in the videos that were produced by Soul Twin Messiah’s Evan G. Hirsch (The Blue Rocker). They have a library of videos regarding the origins of this change in society that no longer accepted limited roles, classifications for various ethnic groups and other things that were rooted in propaganda. Very grateful for all the work they put into their series…” – Andye Mod

In our next Zoom call we’ll be taking a moment to discuss the era, the timing, musicians and leaders who thankfully swerved society out of a chaotic future. Their efforts allowed a few generations to experience a time of enlightenment before we reached the level of absolute chaos we’ve seen of late. It’s important to remember these movements, their origins and why we still need them. Soul Twin Messiah’s core tenant is LOVE and we know Tears for Fears are all about sowing those seeds. Enjoy STM’s S.O.U.L videos and let’s have a conversation!

Also take a look at these great organizations Women’s Audio Mission (WAM) and Marin Shakespheare Theatre. They are worth learning about and will benefit from support.

Gen Alpha Adores Tears for Fears

We have a number of kids in the fifth generation of our fan team that love to get involved with Tears for Fears fan activities. Some even play music. Bobby B-blaze’s son, Keanu Russell, plays lots of Tears for Fears at home and practices their songs using one of Roland Orzabal’s guitars! Kinda helps that he has a big brother named Roland as well. Check him out!

Tamara’s nephew loves to sing “Shout,” by Tears for Fears. Look out for him in the Q3 update on Roland’s birthday!

Sending lots of hugs to all fellow fans. Thank you for keeping in touch and checking in with each other. Stay well, be healthy, follow the band on Instagram and Threads. They do have a shadow presence on Bluesky but it’s not active. We have no comment on the TikTok account because we don’t know who is managing that. Big hugs to Garbage for giving Tears for Fears a shoutout on their latest album Let All That We Imagine Be The Light. Be sure to get a copy and mix it into your Tears for Fears band – fan family musicians playlist.

Post Haste!

Get your tickets for the September and October shows directly from Ticketmaster. We do not recommend using third party vendors. A fan recently purchased from a third party and suddently couldn’t find that party to deliver their tickets. Also, a recent festival had to cancel on the 2nd day. They issued refunds to the point of sale meaning those that bought resale tickets did not get their refunds. The sellers who already collected money for the tickets (likely at a higher price) just bankrolled. The purchaser on the other hand is out of luck. A rule of thumb, buy from the original source. You don’t need to be chasing people for your tickets. Try your hardest to avoid it. If you buy from a fellow fan, they should transfer the ticket immediately, not hold it until the day of the show. Also go ahead and book your accommodations now before occupancy fills up. Remember what happened last fall…the show sold out!

Word of caution for fellow fans, do not put your seat number and section plus order number on social media. It’s not safe. Just say you’re going and let people you trust know where you are sitting. Do not put a screengrab or details of your exact seat anywhere online. We’ll discuss why in our Substack deep dives.

Remember merch has been available through the app on the day of the show (both Oct/Nov and Feb). You likely will not need to stand in line but can order in advance and pick it up once the show is over. Then enjoy a seat in the promendae for the post show wind down with fellow fans.

Countdown to showtime starts now!

Safe travels and travel planning to fans from Japan returning as well as a long time fan from Sweden. Big shoutout to Becky H. for reporting seat corrections that were needed and not originally in order upon arrival during the 30 October show last year. She and a Fontainbleau staff member ensured that the sections were corrected so that everyone got the seats they picked and paid for…both are heroes!

Talk to you soon! Enjoy a slice of one of Curt’s favourites – Blum’s Coffee Crunch Cake and Get ready for Roland’s birthday in August! Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

TFF Travel Fan Team Moderators

*pardon any typos, we’re still adding a few things but wanted to make sure we got this out on Curt’s cake day! More to come on Substack!