This summer, Depeche Mode and Aerosmith shared more in common than either the bands or their fans would probably care to admit. Both penciled in stops at the Ford Amphitheatre and were among the most anticipated big shows of the Bay area's 2009 concert season. Both bands hit some pretty serious snags on the road. But where Aerosmith was de-railed by careless stage antics, Depeche Mode soldiered through throat problems, torn leg muscles, and even a malignant bladder tumor! This summer, the balls clearly belonged to the morose. (All photos by Tanya Taylor.)

A mostly-full Ford Amp cheered and sang along with Depeche Mode and a healthy, active Dave Gahan for nearly two hours this past Friday night. While the show didn't offer the same people-watchers' paradise as Slayer and Marilyn Manson did, there was a nonetheless interesting assortment of young hipsters, old DNA veterans clad in black vinyl, younger Castle-goers dressed similarly, and middle-aged women in mom-jeans who only wanted to hear the Violator singles.

I thought, however, the most interesting moment of the evening — the one that says the most about our music culture — came during the openers: Swedish trio Peter Bjorn and John.

This article appears in Sep 2-8, 2009.