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When I heard about the Morrissey concert being at the Morocco Shrine, I knew I would be in for an interesting event. After overcoming the hassle of parking my car for $10, which could have been clearer by a sign indicating this information, I was ready to begin the night. The air outside of the venue reminded me of the smell of growing up around the alternative scene, clove cigarettes. To me, this signified it was going to be a night full of those who had been a part of the true underground scenes and not the wanna-be scene kids of today.
Opening act Kristeen Young sounds similar to Tori Amos. She was on stage with her piano and lyrics that would make Amos proud to be associated with that analogy. Her lyrics were meaningful and powerful, the kind that people want to listen to and then actually ponder. One of Kristeen Young's songs that left a mark on me was "Goddamn You, You Scenesters." I applaud her on creating a song that is about those people today who are more interested in looking good at concerts and liking the band for their looks and not the music the artist creates. The crowd seemed really into her and her message.
After watching a few scenes from classic shows and a testing screen session from East of Eden with actor James Dean, it was time for the one of the greatest influences on the emo scene (before emo was even considered a genre of music), Morrissey. The crowd was full of those who were inspired by Morrissey, with faces of true admiration, hanging on his every word. He made a comment to the crowd in recognition of this and said, "I'm sure if I stood up here and sang 99 Luftballoons you'd be just as happy, or even more so."
The venue started to become a bit like a sauna as Morrissey performed. At one point, Morrissey requested they turn on the air in the building and left him having to take off his shirt because he got so sweaty (no, the crowd did not mind this at all). Yes, he still has that spark that can make both women and men weak in their knees. His voice is just as sweet and full of life as it was back in the 80's. The band were all dressed in similar pink shirts and black pants, as though they came from back in the days of the big band music of the 1940's, almost looking uniform while leaving the main focus on their frontman. The band tore up the stage matching the way that Morrissey killed us with excitement at hearing him sing again.
The songs varied from some of the newer ones like You Have Killed Me, I Just Want to See the Boy Happy, and In The Future When All Is Well. Then moving on a few of the classic ones like Everyday is like Sunday, The Last of The International Playboys, Life Is a Pigsty and Let Me Kiss You. He ended the evening with a few of The Smiths songs such as How Soon is Now, Girlfriend in a Coma and Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want. Jacksonville also got a special treat of hearing his new song for the first time, I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris, no this song is not about Paris Hilton for the record. Morrissey came out for one encore for the evening and played There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, which was a perfect ending to a wonderful show.
The evening was full of magic and could compare to a family reunion. It was definitely a moving concert and brought back many happy memories for everyone who attended. To answer your question Morrissey, yes you could play 99 Luftballoons and we would all be perfectly continent in that special moment just because of your voice and beautiful soul.
-Deanna Ranes
Set List: The Queen Is Dead / You Have Killed Me / In The Future When All's Well / Disappointed / Girlfriend In A Coma / The National Front Disco / Let Me Kiss You / I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris / Everyday Is Like Sunday / I Just Want To See The Boy Happy / That's How People Grow Up / The Boy With The Thorn In His Side / The Last Of The Famous International Playboys / Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want / First Of The Gang To Die / All You Need Is Me / Life Is A Pigsty / How Soon Is Now? // There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"
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