photos by Steve Rood***In a marvelous homecoming performance, The Go-Go’s returned to Los Angeles, appearing at the largest venue to date on this Spring run of shows, and delighting the SoCal masses at Crypto.com Arena with nearly two-dozen favorites from the sunny pop quintet. Nearly 45 years since their debut, the all-female five had a slightly different look for the evening as drummer Clem Burke subbed in for a recuperating Gina Schock, with Schock briefly saying hello to the enthusiastic hometown crowd. And while The Go-Go’s initially broke ground decades ago with an all-female contingent, really what mattered, and what has allowed the group to endure, is the seemingly immortal strength of its perfected pop catalog. What was once a spunky bunch of young women bursting onto the New Wave scene has matured into a polished band of pop icons bringing the hits and the deeper cuts with pinpoint execution, and most of all, fun. It was hard to find someone not standing and smiling, let alone singing and dancing to every note, hoping to keep up with the onstage bounce of Belinda Carlisle. Considered, perhaps, the most successful all-female ensemble of all-time, The Go-Go’s did not disappoint, lacing in classics “Vacation” early, and many others- such as Turn to You” and “Head Over Heels”- often. It was a well-paced set, strutting its way up to the double whammy of “Our Lips Are Sealed” and “We Got the Beat,” to close out the set. A three-song encore followed, including a take on Elvis Presley’s “Let’s Have a Party.” It was a nice little number, but perhaps meant a little more; maybe it was, as well, a reminder from a ‘50s legend, delivered by stars of the ‘80s, that in 2022 it’s time to have some fun again.***