Posted by John J. Moser at 12:22:57 PM on January 19, 2013
On full display at Reading?s Sovereign Performing Arts Center was the fanatical devotion that dark new wave crooner Morrissey inspires.
A near sellout crowd constantly shouted its love. Most every song was rewarded with enthusiastic applause; only the level of cheering differed. And in a show that lasted just under 90 minutes, no fewer than five people jumped on stage to hug the singer before security hustled them away.
The question was whether the 53-year-old singer deserved such adulation.
Morrissey at Reading's Sovereign Performing Arts Center on Friday
Photos by Brian Hineline/Special to The Morning Call
Morrissey owned the Sinatra-meets-new-wave niche he carved out starting as frontman of British phenoms The Smiths more than 30 years ago and a solo career that now stretches nine albums and is entering its 25th year.
His singing was strong throughout the 19-song set, and was aided by a crack five-man band that in every opportunity given played to the fullest.
He did songs from throughout his career, including six from The Smiths ? he opened with huge cheers to ?Shoplifters of the World Unite.?
But while those song were largely good (there were some exceptions ? more about that later), some of his new songs ? from his latest disc, 2009?s ?Years of Refusal? and even some unrecorded ones ? were better. And his early 1990s solo songs were among the night?s best.
The? oddity was that songs from both those periods shared the new wave/rock vibe that brought out the best in his band. That was especially true on the early pairing of ?Years of Refusal?s? I?m Throwing My Arms Around Paris,? 1992?s ?You?re the One for Me, Fatty? and the brand new ?Action is my Middle Name.?
All three had the 1960s pop vibe that new wave revived, and the band was hot. So was Morrissey, especially on the middle tune ? a shot of perfect new wave sung with a Buddy Holly hiccup. ?Action is My Middle Name,? with a great twinkling piano intro, was extraordinary for a late entry into such a revered catalog, and got an equally big cheer.
The unrecorded ?People Are the Same Everywhere? also was especially strong for a new song, and again showed the best use of the band?s talents. Morrissey sang it well, too, with a long, strong note. And ?Black Cloud,? also from ?Years of Refusal,? was sinister and brooding, with a stinging new wave guitar and pounding drum.
??November Spawned a Monster? from 1990 also had good music, with the stage bathed in red light as a clarinet played. And the band was great on ?Alma Matters?
???????????????????? Morrissey touches the masses
Some of The Smiths songs were strong, too. ?Still Ill,? with its new wave vibe, and the croon-y ?I Know It?s Over? had the audience singing along as he ended with a long, strong note.
But not every song in the set was successful. ?Ouija Board, Ouija Board? was just OK. The newer ?One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell? was bland.
The main set?s closing song, The Smiths? in-your-face ?Meat Is Murder,? played over animal activist films, was more a statement than a song. And the night?s closing ?How Soon is Now? was more strobe lights and sound than music.
But one of the weakest points was when Morrissey tried to step into the full, true role of crooner. His cover of Frankie Valli?s ?To Give (The Reason I Live)? was overwrought and came off as a show tune.
But that mattered little to the adoring crowd. And Morrissey certainly encouraged the adoration.
?Good evening, my beloved, my beloved, my beloved,? he said to open the show.
From the early ?Everyday is Like Sunday,? he exuded cool, dressed in a black-and-white print shirt opened halfway down his chest and displaying a large cross necklace, frequently shaking hands with those closest to the stage and urging them to push forward.
When a guy jumped from the audience to hug him on ?Speedway,? Morrissey said, ?Human contact! Human contact!?
And he let the crowd have his microphone for two minutes of praising him: ?You give us the words of a poet, the voice of an angel and the beauty of a god!? one woman told him.
?You have me confused,? he replied.
But when another complimented his shirt and told him, ?You look handsome,? he replied: ?No arguments here.?
He even took off his shirt during ?Let Me Kiss You? and threw it to the crowd.
But perhaps even more than adulation, the audience connected to Morrissey?s lyrics of alienation.
?Do I look weird?? he asked the crowd before the main set?s penultimate song, The Smiths? ?Please Please Give Me What I Want.? ??Do I look strange? That?s because I am.?
The crowd cheered the song from start to finish.
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