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Numan\u2019s \u2018comeback\u2019\u20141998\u2019s Exile\u2014<\/em>is nearly 25 years on now, and it remains perhaps the finest example of an artist who began a career ahead of his time, only to catch up with his sphere of influence and find new footing in the genre that he helped create. With that in mind, every Numan album and subsequent tour\u2014to this writer\u2019s eyes and ears\u2014feels like a triumph. Intruder<\/em> is no exception, and the setlist leaned heavily into both cuts from the new record as well as choice selections from 2013\u2019s Savage<\/em>, with a few \u2018oldies\u2019 thrown in for good measure.<\/p>\n The legendary 2016 Metro residency that saw Numan performing classic albums Telekon, The Pleasure Principle, <\/em>and Replicas<\/em> in their entirety marked a kind of chapter (see our coverage from that series here) in Numan\u2019s career; while he\u2019s never been one to shy from the songs that made his early career, his setlist on Monday didn\u2019t dwell for long in any long past era. \u201cMetal,\u201d \u201cFilms,\u201d and even cultural touchstone \u201cCars\u201d felt even more powerful somehow, which is certainly due in part to drummer Richard Beasley, guitarist Steve Harris, keyboardist Ade Fenton, and bassist Tim Slade, whose sharp chemistry allow for the brittle synths at the heart of those early tunes to be fleshed out with extra heft; lyrically, the techno-paranoia of Numan\u2019s early work also seems as timely as ever.<\/p>\n This overall balance worked well; moodier, mid-tempo tracks like \u201cThe Gift,\u201d \u201cBed of Thorns,\u201d and \u201cGhost Nation\u201d were largely the order of the night, which made the most of the sparse, futuristic lighting behind the stage, casting the singer and his band heavily in shadow.\u00a0\u00a0 Main set closer \u201cA Prayer for the Unborn\u201d remains one of Numan\u2019s most affecting tracks; set against lyrics reflecting upon a family tragedy, the sole track from 2000\u2019s Pure<\/em> saw a slightly new arrangement for this tour, the kind of dark, melodic anthem for which Numan has proven himself to be the master.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Numan\u2019s position as one of the \u2018elder statesmen\u2019 of electronic music has been hard won and well-earned; no one aside from Trent Reznor has proven to be such an enduring talent in that particular genre. Given Numan\u2019s humble beginnings at the dawn of the \u201880s, I couldn\u2019t help but think, on Monday night, about the recent glut of \u2018bedroom pop\u2019 artists\u2014singer-songwriters making the most of digital advancements in home recording\u2014who owe him a significant debt. Even if it\u2019s not reflected in their sound, Numan paved the way for doing your own thing, on your own terms, in a way that no one had ever heard before. He gave us that, and he still is. The music industry and music fans everywhere, whether they know it or not, are better for it.<\/p>\n For more on Gary Numan, click here<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gary-Numan-Park-West-Chicago-03-21-22-44-684x1024.jpg\")
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