For proof that gay people are just like straight folk, all you had to do was take a stroll through Deer Lake Park on Wednesday night. Admittedly, the crowd for the True Colors tour was a little more colourful than the one you might see at, say, Metallica, but don’t for one second think they weren’t as ready to party.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the eccentric and animated outfits at the concert paid great homage to Cyndi Lauper. It makes you wonder, though, where do people get pink-bubblegum-and-white-polka-dot dresses from anyway? Mixed among the crowd were of course, the delightful gay men, with their chiselled abs, tight butts, great arms…oh, how a single straight women can feel so teased.

Flashes of the ’80s came when the first mullet of the night was spotted; not surprisingly, it was not the last. And an outdoor concert in Vancouver wouldn’t be complete without the thick cloud of smoke from B.C.’s finest hanging through the air at Deer Lake. It helped contribute to the mellow vibe, which was only appropriate considering that tolerance and equality are such an important message of the True Colors tour.

Having fabulous gay friends to host your tour is no easy feat; Queer Eye’s Carson Kressley had more outfit changes than a runway show, making you wonder if it was part of his contract. Rosie O’Donnell took the stage later on; the tired-of-controversy American crowd may find her annoying, but the free-spirited barefoot crowd at Deer Lake ate up her act. The cheers grew louder as she took jabs at her former co-anchor Elizabeth Hasselbeck from The View, and louder still when heavier digs were aimed at George W. Bush.

By 6 p.m. the park was filling up fast, and finding a place to throw down a blanket became a strategic planning game, making sure no one bigger or taller could take up the space in front. The real diehards had already parked themselves in front of the stage and were rewarded with a beautiful medley of melodic songs from Sarah McLachlan.

She had the crowd on their feet after a six-song set of some of her favorites, including “Building a Mystery”, “Push”, and the treat everyone has room for, “Ice Cream”.

McLachlan provided the starring-into-your-lover’s-eyes kind of moment, but this crowd wanted to do just one thing: dance. Strutting onstage in a sparkle clad red T-shirt, together with black-and-white checkered pants only he could have pulled off, Kressley introduced the B-52s, still one of the world’s greatest party bands.

Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, and Cindy Wilson ignited on-stage, taking fans down memory lane first with “Love Shack", before rocking through new hits, “Juliet of the Spirits” and “Love in the Year 3000” from their latest album Funplex.

The park was starting to resemble a Saturday night at Celebrities. Lauper burst out on-stage, dressed head-to-toe in leather, and sporting a fabulously stylish fedora. She proved that at 55, age is nothing but a number.

With that thick, high-pitched Queens accent, she had her fans sold on her new album Bring Ya to the Brink as she and O’Donnell belted out “Rocking Chair” together. Who knew O’Donnell had moves?

Showing off her pipes, Lauper belted out some old favorites, reminding everyone that “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”, with belt of the ’80s masturbation anthem “She Bop”. As the dusk settled in, Lauper called out the entire ensemble acts of the day, and together they ended the night by singing about the real reason everyone had gathered, reminding fans not to be afraid to let their “True Colors” show.

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