If you grew up in the ’80s (like I did), Duran Duran was unavoidable. You were guaranteed to hear the British five-piece’s music every time you turned on the radio, while their videos were in constant heavy rotation on MTV. Such ubiquity combined with the band’s pretty boy image was enough to turn off any teenage male trying to maintain credibility (mostly with other teenage males), so it was easy to dismiss the group as fluff despite its undeniable appeal. As such, it’s only in recent years that I’ve come around to Rob Sheffield’s way of thinking and to appreciate the work of Messrs. Le Bon, Rhodes, and the three Taylors. So it was with little hesitation that I jumped at the opportunity to catch the band live, even if going without my girlfriend, who had other plans and thus was unavailable as a cover, meant an open admission to the world that I do indeed like Duran Duran.

But as this concert proved, there is no shame in such a confession. Even on my lonesome, this show turned out to be one of the most enjoyable I’ve been to this year. A quick ride from Grand Central on Metro North’s Stamford-bound line let me off practically at the Capitol Theater’s door step. And though I now have some regrets that I never saw Duran Duran in their prime, this beautiful venue was no doubt a much better setting than the stadiums they were playing 30 years ago.

After an idiosyncratic DJ set from Penguin Prison that mixed original songs with an odd hodgepodge of cuts from Lionel Richie, Fleetwood Mac, and Talking Heads, Duran Duran took the stage and promptly launched into the tribal pop of “Wild Boys.” These days the band includes all of the Fab Five save one, guitarist Andy Taylor, who has been replaced by Dom Brown. It mattered little to the capacity crowd, though, who cheered with a zealous enthusiasm one rarely sees these days. It was refreshing to say the least. The band, who all in their mid-50s must be drinking from the fountain of youth, didn’t miss a beat as they continued onward with “A View to the Kill” and their calling card, “Hungry Like the Wolf.”

Though some of the crowd might have preferred for the band to stick to the ’80s hits, you wouldn’t have known it from the reaction to “Come Undone” (from 1993’s self-titled record) and “Girl Panic” and “All You Need Is Now” (both from 2010’s All You Need Is Now). The highlights for me, however, came midway through the set: Rio’s moody closing cut, “The Chauffeur,” and “Election Day,” the big hit for Le Bon and Rhodes’ Arcadia side project. Here, the band showed the breadth of its prowess, not to mention Rhodes’ under-appreciated synth work. For his part, Le Bon revealed that like his youthful visage, he is still able to hit the high notes at nearly 57 years of age. He’s also apparently still capable of inspiring girlish lust, as evidence by the undergarment tossed onstage during “Notorious,” another high point. It’s also worth noting that rather than take the cheaper route of programmed backing tracks, Duran Duran brought a sax player and backup singer along, which made a world of difference, especially on “Rio,” which closed the set.

Once the band left the stage, however, the evening took an odd turn. With the crowd continuing to voice its approval, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Duran Duran would come back for an encore. Even after the houselights were turned up and exit music began playing, the audience continued to clap and scream for more, yet the band did not return. Hence, I made my way to the adjoining bar to have a drink while I waited for the next train. After, a good 15 minutes in the bar, suddenly a roar rose from the remaining audience. The group had finally returned to the stage after more than 30 minutes! Those who were still there, which was a larger portion of the audience than you’d think would wait it out that long, were treated to a finale of two cuts from the band’s self-titled debut: “Careless Memories” and “Girls on Film.” The latter was predictable, but a divergence into Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” was unexpected. Two songs seemed a little skimpy for making the crowd wait so long, but regardless, they capped off what truly was a performance that exceeded my expectations—past and present.