Comments on: Morrissey @ State Theatre

By: Jill

Jill — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:46:24 +0000

To the highlights, I’ll add the bass guitar at the end of “I’m Okay by Myself”. Simple, sublime, powerful…I could’ve grooved on that for a while. I’m afraid that my overall review of the concert isn’t terribly objective as I felt (mind and body) like a 15-year-old for the first part of the set (I remember distinctly marching into Tower Records and buying “The Queen in Dead” in 1986). So, yeah, nostalgia was overwhelming. But the band was stellar, his new songs still move me, and god love him for removing not one, not two, but THREE shirts! Thanks, Josh (and everybody else), for your sharing your reflections here.

By: mark

mark — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:41:51 +0000

btw, looks like you and Erik were very close to the stage. bastards.

By: mark

mark — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:36:21 +0000

A very thoughtful and honest review, Josh. As a life-long Morrissey super dork, I’ll willingly put myself on the die-hard end of the fan spectrum (just short of rushing the stage – those dudes were large). That said, I’ve only seen him perform twice (this show and the one at The Quest in ’99 or 00′- I can’t remember), but in my book it was epic Moz, both musically and stylistically. He was clearly having a good time and the band seemed loose, which was markedly different from The Quest, where sound problems annoyed them through the entire set.

In my book, Morrissey is one of the few contemporary artist/entertainers who can create relevance throughout a career. His catalogue is enviable, and I agree that one of the highlights was the “How Soon is Now?” (1984) and “Irish Blood English Heart” (2004) combo. Twenty years apart!

By: jay c

jay c — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:37:53 +0000

I agree w/ what Erik T. said “it becomes much more about the spectacle of seeing Morrissey than about his music…” However, I’ve seen Moz 3x now I would have to say I think it’s always been about the spectacle of seeing Moz live. He’s such a great entertainer!

By: Erik T.

Erik T. — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:53:47 +0000

I agree with your take on the show here, Josh. With that stellar start, most shows would inevitably hit a bit of a lull, and this one most assuredly did after the 6-7 song mark. As with any major artist with a massive back catalog to choose from, you can always find fault with the song choices, but at least he was touring behind a strong record-so hearing a bunch of tracks from that album was enjoyable. For the most part the set was filled with crowd-pleasers and jems from the past.

But you’re right, the backing band was quite exemplary, and allowed Moz to preen about the stage most of the night. I think at this point in his career, it becomes much more about the spectacle of seeing Morrissey than about his music even, and I feel fortunate to have finally seen him live. He is a born showman with an acerbic wit about him that provides for a fun and entertaining show, even if the music at times isn’t as interesting as the “performance.” Nice work, Josh.