The artists defied social norms, even pushing the genre boundaries of their own music. Blondie was a central part of that group. For the better part of four decades members Debbie Harry and Chris Stein have been doing that for thousands of fans a show.

On the heels of their new album, “Pollinator,” Blondie hit the stage just as the sun was setting on one of the most spectacular outdoor venues in Western New York, Artpark. The 72-year-old Harry hit the stage wearing headgear to resemble the album name, and the fact that she has started a new hobby of beekeeping. The stinger end of a bee on each side of her still-blonde hair, the New Wave Pop Punk band started the show with the classic “One way or another.”

To say that the show was near flawless would be an understatement. Harry’s voice was effortlessly near perfect. As she floated around the stage and talked between songs, the ease of the performance was evident. There’s just no other way to say it than this woman still has it. The voice, naturally eroded, though slightly, with age, is still that signature tone that has launched so many hits through the years.

Stein on guitar showed off his chops. Even after his bought with a major skin illness in the early 1980s, the guy lands right where you’d expect for playing his instrument for longer than many of the fans at the Lewiston show have been alive.

P-J photo by Chris Chapman

Clem Burke had limited action on the kit in a solo mode but used every bit of time he could get to show off his skills as well. After the show opener, Burke was able to show off a bit as the video screens played video and showcased images, some of which had to have come from the eye of Stein, a photographer since early childhood. The quick little set went into “Call Me.”

A couple younger guys on stage, Tommy Kessler and Matt Katz-Bohen, proved their worth as well. Kessler shredded on guitar in a way that would make guys like Steve Via and Slash smile. Katz-Bohen, writer of several songs on the new album, also plays keyboard and, yes, a keytar. On bass, Leigh Fox made sure to hold it all together.

For those looking for something to hold the old Blondie to the new, the stage setup was sparse with the exception of the three huge video screens as a backdrop. Those screens, for most of the performance, showed black and white images of squares, seemingly moving as digital boxes, and static that harkened back to the new wave movement.

One of the characteristics of bands like Blondie is that they have a habit of crossing genres. Not only in the performance of what became a huge disco hit in “Heart of Glass,” but in songs throughout the show, genres were mixed, blended, ended and even assimilated. There were times that the show felt like a metal performance. Others a bluesy-jazzy feel. More fell into a punk category. Overall, you can only say that it was a uniquely Blondie feel.

From the start of “One way or Another” to the final note of the encore, “The Tide is High,” the crowd was in sync with each and every note.