The Cure vs. The Smiths Dance Party Is Coming to The Van Buren

Goth-pop institution The Cure has been The Robert Smith Show for most of its existence. With his red lips, chalk-white skin, and finger-in-the-electric-socket hair, Smith is an iconic presence and supremely gifted songwriter. Aside from The Smiths, it’s hard to think of any U.K. band from that era who could be relied on to deliver one beguiling hit after another. But while he’s always been the captain of The Good Ship Cure, he used to have a steady first mate in Lol Tolhurst.

Co-founding The Cure with Smith in 1976, Tolhurst acted as the band’s drummer from Three Imaginary Boys through Pornography (a run of stone-cold post-punk classic LPs). Transitioning from skins to keys, he became the band’s keyboardist until he was dismissed from The Cure during the recording sessions for Disintegration.

Considering his long tenure in the band during one of their most fertile creative periods, who better than Tolhurst to act as a selector at a Cure dance party? The Cure vet will be doing a guest DJ set at Hang The DJ’s The Cure vs. The Smiths Dance Party, joining DJs Borisimo and Xan Renn to spin New Wave jams all night long.

The Cure vs.The Smiths Dance Party with special guest Lol Tolhurst will be Saturday, June 16, at The Van Buren. Tickets are $10 and up at ticketweb.com.