Got a tip? Send it our way
Share your music news — big or small — with the Austin360.com team by sending us an e-mail.
Home > Austin Music Source > Archives > 2009 > April > 13 > Entry
Review: Morrissey at Bass Concert Hall
Laura Skelding AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Sunday night at Bass Concert Hall, Morrissey reminded his audience just to what extent he was holding them in the palm of his hand.
The moment came after a thrillingly powerful run at the Smith’s classic “How Soon is Now?,” complete with enormous-sounding guitars tremeloed into infinity, thunderous beats on a very large bass drum and Morrissey himself, posed like a corpse, feet on the drum riser, body on the floor. The identically dressed six piece band roared around him, a tiny, crack rock ‘n’ roll army doing his bidding, including lead guitarist (and former Austinite) Jesse Tobias.
After the song shuddered to a halt and the crowd picked up the roar, Morrissey strolled to the microphone, saying: “Is there a better place to be on Easter Sunday?”
Um, no. No, there isn’t.
It was a huge rock star moment that a lesser (or less confident) talent would have parked squarely at the end of the show. This was song number four.
Of course, Morrissey is showman enough to play to the crowd most of the time, handing over the mic now and then. We look forward to his Vegas revue some time in the future. The 49-year old singer ripped off his third shirt of the evening during the line “someone you physically despise” in the song “Let Me Kiss You,” eliciting the night’s loudest laughs and screams of approval.
Mixing older Smiths material with songs from his new album “Years of Refusal” and a good deal from his stellar 2004 comeback album “You Are The Quarry,” Morrissey’s 90-minute set moved from precise rock ‘n’ roll to blown-out, almost psychedelic codas.
In front of a frankly homoerotic (and extremely funny) backdrop of a muscular sailor, opener “This Charming Man” saw our man in a tux, his band in matching black outfits and white ties with their boss’ face on them ($50 at the merch table.) Newer songs (“Black Cloud,” “Something is Squeezing My Skull”, “I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris”) amped up the sharp, almost punk verve that’s shot through “Refusal.” The energy of older material (“Irish Blood, English Heart,” the fiercely rockabilly “The Loop”) was scaled up to match.
The Smiths classic “Ask” was stripped of its chime and swing and turned in a driving ode to joy, while “Death of a Disco Dancer” ended with a noisy, emotive jam emphasizing the band’s raw power. Nothing wussy here and no place anyone in that room would rather spend Easter Sunday.
SETLIST
This Charming Man
Billy Budd
Black Cloud
How Soon is Now?
Irish Blood, English Heart
When I Last Spoke to Carol
How Could Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?
I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris
Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
Something is Squeezing My Skull
Seasick, Yet Still Docked
The Loop
The World is Full of Crashing Bores
The Death of a Disco Dancer
Goodbye Will Be Farewell
I Keep Mine Hidden
Sorry Doesn’t Help
Ask
Let Me Kiss You
I’m OK By Myself
(encore) The First of the Gang to Die
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Reviews
Comments
Click here to report comment abuse.
By rob
April 13, 2009 6:39 PM | Link to this
VIVA MORRISSEY!!!!
enuff said….
roberto
By Martha C. in Buda
April 14, 2009 8:59 PM | Link to this
I LOVE YOU MORRISSEY! I wish I could’ve been at the show…probably would’ve made an *** of myself. VIVA MORRISSEY!!! There is a light that never goes out…