Review: Cyndi Lauper delivers a colorful performance, not just a concert, in Palm Desert (2024)

Legendary singer Cyndi Lauper taught us that girls just want to have fun, but sometimes even they have to face a curtain call. So why not go out with a bang?

The iconic 1980s pop-rock singer brought her headlining Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour — Lauper’s first major run in a decade — to Acrisure Arena on Sunday, where she dazzled the crowed with chart-topping hits, deep cuts and cover songs.

But this was no ordinary concert; it was a true performance from a great who has amassed a number of awards — including a Tony Award for her "Kinky Boots" score — continuously championed for LGBTQ+ and women's rights, and done things her own way.

In a nearly-full arena, with audience members in the palm of her hands, it was bittersweet to have to bid farewell to the singer who's still got it, even at the age of 71. But, as she joked at one point in the evening, it's better to enjoy her while she can still twirl and showcase that distinctive sometimes-innocent-sometimes-coarse-sounding voice of hers, rather than when she needs a walker to get from one end of the stage to the other.

More: Cyndi Lauper tour setlist: Here's everything she sang at her Palm Springs area concert

Before Lauper took the stage, drag superstar Trixie Mattel, who owns the Trixie Motel in Palm Springs, warmed up the crowd with a DJ set, a different kind of performance from her Americana-pop Stagecoach 2023 set.

It was an interesting choice for a crowd full of Boomers and Gen Xers, and it certainly took quite some time for people to get into — although this Mattel fan was enjoying it all throughout. Soon, though, a few people started hitting the dancefloor/dancing in the stands and singing along to a constant stream of songs from the past. Mattel got the '70s and '80s nostalgia started with mashups of "Video Killed the Radio Star," "Heart of Glass," "Don't You Want Me" and more.

Rocking at any age

Sunday's show wasn't about getting through songs as quickly as possible with little to no energy on stage. If Lauper is calling this a farewell tour, she's giving her fans everything they want, and then some.

After playing a video montage of her career, which included clips from the past of her signature poofy hair and tutus, her collection of awards and her equally impressive activism work, Lauper entered the stage the only way she knows how: accompanied by a loud and colorful explosion of smoke to the tune of "She Bop." She may be 71 years old, but seeing her in a sparkly silver suit and with curly green hair, you quickly realize she's still the same rocker everyone feel in love with all those years ago.

Although, when you do reach 71, you have some problems associated with A-G-E.

"I can't hear you," she said to audience members shouting at her. "I haven't a clue."

Her farewell tour was "my gift to you," she told the crowd, many of whom were dressed in their own poofy tutu skirts and colorful wigs.

Whether she was singing her own tunes or honoring other artists' song, Lauper's energy was infectious, and it was easy to see why she penned "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" so many years ago. She was twirling, striking poses reminiscent of her "She's So Unusual" album cover and making every part of the arena feel seen. Her facial expressions made certain moments even more powerful, like the look of anguish on her face as she sang Prince's "When You Were Mine," showing the meaning of every word of that song.

Visuals make the performance

Clocking in at nearly three hours, Lauper's show certainly was a spectacle, and one that many will remember for a long time. Along with the vocals, which rarely faltered as she belt out a diverse mix of songs, the accompanying visuals elevated her performance even more.

Her stage setup was simple, mainly showcasing her band, but the video panels behind her delivered something new with each song. They were at times simple, like the pink, black and blue lights synced up to Prince's "When You Were Mine," or cinematic as they showed city light streaks for "I Drove All Night." But one thing's for sure, they were never boring, nor could you anticipate what would come next.

Even her costumes meant something. When she came out in a fiery red blazer to perform Wanda Jackson's "Funnel of Love," she explained it was an homage to the 1950s singer who was called "the devil" for playing rock 'n' roll music.

Something that concertgoers rarely ever see is a peek at the happenings backstage. As Lauper finished up "I'm Gonna Be Strong," a video screen turned on to show her getting dressed for the next part of the show. The chaotic energy was turned up to the max, with makeup artists trying to fix any smudges, costumers trying to get a jacket and new wig on her and Lauper telling some crazy story about her cousin and a fish. It was another one of those moments that felt so true and right for Lauper.

But Lauper also knew when to tone things down. While performing her ballad "Sally's Pigeons," an illuminated white cloth floated and swerved above a middle stage area, captivating audiences as it performed its own solemn dance. Toward the end of the evening, Lauper stood on that same stage and held a rainbow-colored cloth in the air to sing her anthem "True Colors." With many other rainbow flags spotted in the audience, it was a beautiful moment to witness with thousands of others in the arena.

Lauper saved her biggest hits for the end of the night. She encouraged the audience to turn on their cellphone flashlights for "Time After Time," which only lit up one of the best songs ever even more. Later, Lauper, Mattel and her band were dressed in white clothes with red polka dots, to honor artist Yayoi Kusama's "With All My Love For The Tulips, I Pray Forever" sculptural installation, for the "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" finale.

Chatty Cyndi

As frequent as the hits were, so too were the interesting stories Lauper shared with the crowd.

One minute it was a tidbit about why audiences hadn't seen her perform for so long (because she was busy with "Kinky Boots" and the upcoming Broadway show "Working Girl") and the next it was a story about picking out the best outfits for her tour with designer Christian Siriano. She even made time to acknowledge her and her husband's, actor David Thornton, 34th wedding anniversary.

Whatever the topic, she was electric to listen to, like when your favorite eccentric aunt comes over for Thanksgiving dinner and shares wild anecdotes from her recent adventures. Sure, she may lose her train of thought every so often, but it's the journey that makes that tale worthwhile and so exciting.

While she may be retiring from concerts, perhaps there's a future in standup comedy for Lauper. She would tell fans, "I love you too ... in a rhetorical way," which garnered big laughs from the crowd.

Girls just want to have fundamental rights

Another main focus of Lauper's concert was spotlighting the ongoing fight for women's rights around the world.

Prior to the start of the show, concertgoers could scan a QR code to donate to the Girls Just Want to Have Fundamental Rights Fund at the Tides Foundation to support efforts that advance women’s rights and health. She even changed the lyrics to "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" at one point to include that they also want fundamental rights.

With her song "Sally's Pigeons," Lauper’s ballad about a childhood friend who died seeking a back-alley abortion, the singer took time to acknowledge the struggles women face in the United States following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

"I never thought I'd go back to fighting for autonomy," she said. "You feel like a second-class citizen. You can't make a decision for yourself."

Even with "I Drove All Night," Lauper said she recorded the song and released it for her 1989 album "A Night to Remember" because "there weren't many famous songs of women driving." Being able to drive a car is a "power thing," though she added that she still can't parallel park.

As she was jamming out with her band, many of whom were women, she noted that her percussionist was playing a cajon, a percussion box. "Women weren't supposed to play cajon," Lauper said.

But as was clear throughout her career and the evening, Lauper is not one to play by the rules. If she wants a woman on the percussion box, she's going to make it happen.

Lauper's headlining tour concludes its U.S. leg on Dec. 7 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, before continuing in Europe, Australia and Asia.

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Review: Cyndi Lauper puts on a performance to remember in Palm Springs area