Finishing their two-night set at the San Francisco Masonic Auditorium on Sunday night, directly across from the illustriously gothic Grace Cathedral, every one of the black leather-and-lace-clad audience members went home ecstatic. Bauhaus is an impeccable and incomparable band, but after a sixteen year lacuna from the Bay Area, most fans had given up on ever seeing them again. However, when their triumphant return to L.A. in 2019 proved to be a smashing success, founding members Peter Murphy, Daniel Ash, David J. and Kevin Haskins knew it was time to break their musical hiatus. Covid-19 dashed plans for a further extended tour in 2020, but after releasing a new song in March of this year, Bauhaus decided to make a six-city tour of the States this Spring, including the Pasadena Cruel World Festival.

Their setlist left no stone unturned, starting with a cover of John Cale’s “Rosegarden Funeral Of Sores” and their early “Double Dare”, continuing with “In Flat Field”, “A Spy In The Cab”, their infamous “She’s In Parties” and “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”, as well as the ultra-danceable “Kick In The Eye”, closing their main set with “Stigmata Martyr” and “Dark Entries”. Their fiery encore of Iggy Pop’s “Sister Midnight”, T. Rex’s “Telegram Sam” and David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust”, all showcased Bauhaus’ homage to glam-rock, the bedrock of their sound, no matter how dark and angular they get. There are nothing but jagged edges in Bauhaus’ music and they cut to the quick, but things have never felt so bright and soft for Bauhaus fans.

Vinsantos DeFonte

A self-described “Drag Spirit Witch”, Vinsantos is a multi-disciplinary polymath artist and performer based out of New Orleans (though she is quite at home in San Francisco, being born in Daly City). With a jet-black acerbic wit, her songs are lilting ballads filled with angst and energy. Regaling the crowd with interstitial stories of being bullied at a young age for wearing “death rock gear”, to a fabulous story of meeting the Dalai Lama in Golden Gate Park, their are loads of reasons to love Vinsantos, including her incredible cover of Bauhaus’ “Crowds”.