Squeeze and Boy George bring out the classics

Just over a year after they headlined the Boch Center with The Psychedelic Furs, Squeeze topped a double bill at the same venue last night with an even more popular British act of the 1980s, Boy George.

The second act to play such a bill is generally considered the de facto headliner between the two otherwise equals.

In terms of commercial success and name recognition, however, Boy George probably had the more legitimate claim to this honor.

After all, he had 10 top 40 hits (including six top 10s and a #1) with Culture Club between 1982 and 1985. Squeeze didn’t have their first and only top 40 entries until 1987, which was a decade into their career.

But who performed when didn’t matter to the several thousand attendees who hung on ever note.

Donning a trademark hat and latter-day ever-present goatee, Boy George wasted no time in working the crowd into a frenzy by diving right into “Karma Chameleon,” which most people would probably agree was the most recognizable song of the evening.

While he was happy to give the audience what they wanted, the singer born George Alan O’Dowd did not neglect material that is less familiar to American audiences.

In addition to several Culture Club favorites, the 63-year-old working in solo material from as far back as 1992 (“The Crying Game”) and as recently as this year (“Mrs. Blame”). By doing so, he gave lie to what he said are people’s mistaken impression that he “has been asleep since 1984.”

George read the room exceedingly well by mashing up “Church of the Poison Mind” with Wham’s “I’m Your Man” and offering an inspired version of Prince’s majestic “Purple Rain.” (Interestingly, in the song “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya,” what was also on last night’s setlist, Boy George used a numeral in place of letters before The Purple One became known for doing so.)

He closed his 15-song set with a cover of “Get It On” by T. Rex, whose leader, Marc Bolan, was one of the “straight blokes” whom Boy George counts among his heroes.

All and all, it was a thrill to see one of the most indelible figures of the early MTV era doing what he says are his “favorite things:” “showing off and wearing hats.”

After a brief intermission, lifelong Squeeze members Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford (click for my boston.com interview) and their several bandmates kicked off their set with three songs of special significance: 1978’s “Take Me I’m Yours,” the band’s first single; “Hourglass,” their first US top 40 entry; and “Up the Junction.”

In addition to being tied for Squeeze’s biggest UK hit, the last of these is a Dylan-level masterpiece of poignant storytelling and the most illustrative example of Tilbrook and Difford’s expert songwriting.

From there, the duo resisted – as Boy George had – nestling in the comfort of their greatest hits.

Granted, “Cool for Cats,” which featured Difford on vocals (as did “Someone Else’s Heart); a trilogy from 1980’s “Argybargy” that comprised “If I Didn’t Love You,” “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell),” and “Another Nail In My Heart”; an accordion and ukulele-adorned version of “Goodbye Girl”; and a somewhat minimalist version of “Tempted” were among the classics that were accounted for.

Also present were a few tracks that Tilbrook described as having been written in 1974 but never brought to finished form. Good thing, the lead singer explained, as they weren’t as good of players then and were assigned a producer that was told to “make us sound like the Bay City Rollers.”

Another aspect that was on display was Tilbrook’s underrated six-string mastery, as demonstrated on several aforementioned selections as well as “Slap and Tackle” and “Is That Love.”

While the night was undoubtedly one of joyous nostalgia for the paying customers, the performers amply demonstrated that they are unmistakably living in the present and fully intent on moving forward.

Squeeze setlist

“Take Me I’m Yours”

“Hourglass”

“Up the Junction”

“One Beautiful Summer”

“Someone Else’s Heart”

“If I Didn’t Love You”

“Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)”

“Another Nail in My Heart”

“You Get the Feeling”

“Trixie’s Hell On Earth”

“Goodbye Girl”

“Slap and Tackle”

“Is That Love?”

“Tempted”

“Cool for Cats”

“Black Coffee in Bed”