Morrissey tonight!

I'm on Morrissey media blackout so I haven't even seen a set list. My friend who went to Reno (Sparks, really) last weekend to see both shows tells me that he's playing a bunch of old stuff (even a few Smiths songs) which is pretty cool. I don't know how much from the new album he'll be playing, but I hope not too much. IMO, it's his 2nd worst to date, right behind "Maladjusted."

Campy- we're planning on being at The Puck at 6:30. Let me know if you're going there beforehand and I'll watch for you. We're not going to make any serious effort to see the opening act, and we're expecting The Man to take stage somewhere between 8:15-8:45 so we'll probably bail around 8:00. Still TBD if we're going back afterwards.

Full review of the show tomorrow.

Sweet.

Take anti-depressants before you go.

That sucks. I hate when work gets in the way of recreating. 

Review:

Didn't see the opening act, can't comment. Heard it was incredibly meh. Between the opening act and Moz, a reel with bunch of old Hollywood outtakes involving James Dean and many more obscure starlet types was shown. It was weird, stupid, and way too long.

I was a little shocked (but not too) over the low turnout. United Concerts should have booked a more intimate venue for him. He did sell out two dates at the Hollywood Bowl, but he has a large concentration of fans in Southern California. In Utah, he's good for a crowd of maybe 2k, including the freaks who follow him on tour. I'd say last night was closer to 1500.

Moz took stage at around 8:30ish (forgot my watch so I don't know for sure). He opened with a really rocking version of "The Queen is Dead." (Aside from Boz Boorer his band is almost entirely new from the last tour and they're pretty pissed... well as pissed as Morrissey's band can be.)

He was in good form, if not a bit chubbier than I was expecting (to his credit, he is 48 now). Voice still sounds good and you can tell that he absolutely adores his fans. I was most pleased to hear so many songs from The Smiths, and from Moz's "golden years" (Vauxhall and I and earlier), including a couple I never thought I'd hear him play live again.

Overall it was a very good show, though it did lag a bit in the middle. Among the Moz shows I've seen, I'd rank it somewhere near the bottom of the middle, or top of the bottom, or something like that. Some of the more obscure older tracks made it worthwhile to me, but I imagine a non-fan would have been incredibly bored by the entire affair. Fingers firmly crossed for the Morrissey/Marr reunion tour soon.

Highlights of the show included: "First Of The Gang To Die," "Disappointed," "Panic," "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side," "Everyday Is Like Sunday," "How Soon Is Now?" "Irish Blood, English Heart" "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want."

Lowlights: pretty much everything from the new album, and in particular the very boring and way too long rendition of "Life is a Pigstye."

[edit] Just remembered- he forgot the lyrics to "The Youngest was the Most Loved." He blamed it on a long night at the pub the night before.

A Smiths reunion will never happen. Mike Joyce done *fudge*ed that one up. I think a Morrissey/Marr reunion is not out of the question, but I'd bet just about all I own that Morrissey will never again play with Joyce or Andy Rourke. No great loss, they were space fillers anyway.

He kills puppies.