Photo Credit: Richard Giraldi

“Whoa…I’m about to see Depeche Mode! I feel like I’m 35!” an 18 year-old fan yelled.

After a few weary looks and sarcastic eye-rolls from a number of festivalgoers around him, a bearded older gentleman turned to the youth and said, “What’s so funny about that?”

It was this generational divide among the Depeche Mode crowd on Lollapalooza day one that made their performance so peculiar yet immensely entertaining.

Depeche Mode are nearing their 30th year of existence. They’re also a band that would have never been booked at Lollapalooza in its early ‘90s heyday as the alt-rock destination. But that didn’t stop them from putting on an exciting, provocative and eye-catching performance in Grant Park on Friday, August 6, to a nearly sold out crowd of 75,000.

The group opened with three cuts off their latest album Sounds of the Universe. These songs are a bit darker in sound and in delivery. Album opener “In Chains” began with a screeching synthesizer line until a funkified wah-pedal guitar riffs keeps it moving. The single, “Wrong,” was the first song, and one of the few, of the night where fans both young and old sang passionately, perhaps because the quick hitting drum machines and rubbery synthesizer lines are comparable to newer Nine Inch Nails material.

However, the show didn’t hit full stride until the band delved into their older and better-known material. Songs off the 1990 classic Violator such as “Policy of Truth” and “Enjoy the Silence” were instant crowd pleasers. While the band’s electronic flourishes and sleek guitar breaks on older songs may occasionally sounded dated, the quirky and odd visuals – multi-colored gum balls or band members dressed as giant astronauts staring into the crowd – offered a more lighthearted approach than an ‘80s act taking themselves too seriously. “Walking In My Shoes” off the 1993 album Songs of Faith and Devotion may not come off as precise as the studio version, but the song succeeds if only for showcasing Dave Gahan’s sultry vocals.

Speaking of Dave Gahan, the man is practically a force of nature. He oozed sexual energy as he strutted around the stage shirtless only dawning a black leather vest. The 47-year-old front man utilized his arsenal of signature rock n’ roll moves such as microphone stand twirls or the occasional crotch grab.

By the time Depeche Mode erupted in to the much-anticipated classic “Personal Jesus,” the band had won over a crowd both mature and wise and young and curious. Their highly energetic two hour set was pure electric sex and a fitting way to kick off Lollapalooza 2009.