Duran Duran Brought ‘Paper Gods’ to Atlanta’s Philips Arena

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I grew up in the golden of age of MTV, where music videos dominated the airwaves, not reality television on constant loop, and VJs were really cool. Where Hungry Like the Wolf, Like a Virgin, and Bad played on repeat, and I lived for it. To not only hear all this amazing new music explode on the scene, but to see it on TV greatly impacted me as child. It helped shape me into an artist. When Duran Duran announced that they were going to have an Atlanta date, my little ‘80s child exploded with glee to finally see one of the bands the cultivated my young musical life.

Up next, Chic featuring Nile Rodgers, the man behind some of the greatest hits of any generation turned Philips Arena into a frolicking party, much like Studio 54. The only thing missing was a mirrored disco ball. A stank-it-up, rock ‘n’ roll, funk version of Daft Punk’s Get Lucky, blew my mind away. Humble and truly happy to be up on stage, he told the audience that the doctors told him to get his affairs in order, instead he decided he wanted to leave a legacy by making as much music as possible and doing as many shows as possible before he died. And now, five years later he is cancer free. Nile is an inspiration and the music is uplifting.

When Duran Duran took to the stage in explosion of light and color it really set the pace for the rest of the evening, as they balanced their 18-song set list by showcasing not only their new material, like What Are the Chances? and Pressure Off, but also illuminated their classics hits like Wild Boys, Come Undone, Ordinary World and of course Rio. I felt so lucky to be photographing from the pit when they performed Hungry Like the Wolf – I got to dance around, sing out loud to one of my favorite 80s songs, all while taking photographs.

After the show, I talked with a fourteen year old girl named Brooke who told me that this was her first concert experience ever. The sheer joy on her face was priceless, she told me she got the “feels” when Duran Duran played Ordinary World and I couldn’t agree more. They sounded better than ever and really looked like they were having a good time, which drove the crowd crazy. For me this was a bucket list item achieved!

Click here to check out the full photo gallery of Paper Gods Tour at Philips Arena in Atlanta.

Written & Photographed by Danielle Boise

Courtesy The CW/Atlanta