Morrissey 05/19/14 Rococo Theater
My journey to see Morrissy live actually began back in October of 2012, but thanks to what now is an infamous reputation for postponing and canceling shows, it didn't happen. He originally scheduled those shows as early as October, before pushing back the tour to January for health reasons. When January finally came around, you guessed it postponed, this time all the way back to May of 2013. I waited patiently until May, when two days before the show was scheduled to happen, he announced he had come down with double phenomenon an cancelled the whole tour. What started as sad became almost comical, when he later scheduled a summer tour in South America that was cancelled. He even planned to release an autobiography that was wait for it, postponed. So lets just say when he planned a 2014 tour to coincide with a new album, I was skeptical. However I really wanted to see Morrissey live, so I bought tickets and just waited for him to cancel.
Here is The Smiths How Soon is Now? Live
The tour did begin with the usual Morrissey controversy, but as you can guess by reading this it didn't get cancelled. He even showed up to our show in Lincoln Nebraska! We were all as shocked as you are reading this. When I arrived at the Rococo Theater I saw that audience was made up of music fans from all walks of life, all ready to have a good cry together. He took the stage a little after 9 Pm and opened with the Smiths Hand in Glove. As you would expect the audience erupted when they heard The Smiths favorite maybe a little too much for Morrissey. He is a very well known diva and is not about to take crap from anyone, even if that crap didn't really happen.
The show started off great, with Morrissey sounding amazing. He was backed by a band of farly young musicians, all of whom were extremely talented. The show even featured new music from World Peace is None of Your Buisness, the tital track, Earth is the Loneiest Planet, and The Bull Fighter Dies. Guess what, the new stuff sounds great. Now we get to the drama portion of the show, after ganglord, and speedway Morrissey stopped to tell a story about the trip from Colorado to Lincoln and was repeatedly interrupted by the audience. Eventually one audience member yelled out boring, and Morrissey took it personally sticking his tougne out and angerly blasting into Everyday is Like Sunday. That doesn't sound like much of a punishment, except that he didn't sing the words. He spent the time going up to fans in the front row and asking them questions and calling their responses boring.
Here is Earth is the Loneliest Planet live.
The rest of the show was sang as preformed as planned, sort of. He sang his main scheduled set and performed well. He was noticeable mad at the audience for the remainder of the show, even singing facing the wall instead of the audience at one point. He played a mixed set of hits, new songs, deep cuts, and two Smiths songs. The best performance of the night came during The Smiths Meat is Murder. During the song he played footage of animal treatment in the modern world, and he truly sang his guts out as he watched the footage. After I know it's going to happen someday he left the stage and didn't come back for an encore. The fans sat and cheered waiting for along time, we left after 20 minutes. The star of the show was his amazing voice, but also his very diva personality. The lesson learned here is never make fun of Morrissey, ever! It was still a very good show with 15 songs for over an hour. I would've liked to have heard a few more, a couple more Smiths songs, and him actually singing Everyday is like Sunday. Hopefully I will get another chance to see him again, when he is in a better mood. Seeing as how hard it was the first time, and that he has already postponed two shows on the current tour, I don't think that will happen.
Guided by Voices 6-02-14 Wooly's
This post for living legends gets filled under the I have no idea who that guy is section. Guided by Voices and their leader, front man Robert Pollard are legends to those who know who they are. Which isn't as many people as you might think. They have a legacy in indie rock, so much so that when the reunion tour was announced in 2010 the whole tour sold out immediately. They have 22 albums, that's right 22 albums, and Robert Pollard has written a total of over 1600 songs! He has been admitted into the songwriters hall of fame as one of the most prolific song writers of all time. Now admittedly that becomes easier when 90% of yours songs clock in at under two minutes, but it's still incredible.
Here is Buzzards and Dreadful Crows live.
We arrived at Wooly's late missing the opener, but that hardly mattered, everyone was there with GBV shirts and fondness for 90s alt rock. It was a pretty small crowd, but it was full up with diehard fans, they had the energy and excitement of a full crowd. At nine on the nose Guided by Voices took the stage and Robert introduced himself by bringing out a bottle of tequila and offering to pass it around in the audience to share, which he did do later. Little did I know what kind of marathon show I was getting myself into, 48 songs and three encores later the show finally ended at well over two hours!
This show is kinda like if the Rolling Stones never got sober, it's both amazing and very sad to watch. Robert downed half a bottle of tequila, (before giving it to the audience), 6 or 7 beers, and half a bottle of crown royal through the night. All while preforming, high jump kicking and spinning the mic above his head,( and breaking a mic once doing this). The lead guitarist has given new meaning to smoking packs a day, they played 48 songs and he smoked a cigarette for almost every song. I'm trying to understand how that was physical possible without death. For most of the night they sounded great, but as he got more drunk his vocals falter some. First his when his speaking voice, to the point where he sounded like Ozzy, and then harmonizing was not going to happen anymore. During one of the later songs he announced after that he sang it, that he sang that song in the wrong key. I was amazed that he could still belt it out period, or remember the words to 48 different songs.
Here is Unleashed! The Large Hearted Boy Live.
Later in the night he said that he was heckled in Boston about his live performance because of the alcoholism, and they have a point. However he has been doing this his whole life and it's obvious that he does not plan on stopping. It may have hurt his health, but it sure hasn't hurt his productivity. He one of the most functioning alcoholics I have ever seen. Since the reunion in 2010 he had released 6 albums. They could decide to get sober and continue to play, but my guess is that since it's so late in their career and lives, that they won't. Who are we to have them change now, they have lived a truly great life and continue to do so. It you took it away now, it might take away their drive to record and play. I can tell just from seeing them that playing and making music is the only thing that gives them joy. Let them go out like on their own terms just like Lemmy of Motorhead.
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