Location: The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA
Support act(s): Girl in a Coma
In the company of: Chris
Just arrived home from the show. The Moz did not disappoint. Again. Song #1 was "Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before," from the Smiths final studio album Strangeways, Here We Come. It is called the Greatest Hits Tour, mainly because there is no new release to promote. That was fine with me.
Morrissey dug deep into his early solo stuff, not focusing on Smiths material as much as the last time we saw him. One huge highlight for me was "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want." This was actually the first Smiths song I ever heard (embarrassingly from the Pretty In Pink soundtrack). Nonetheless, it's a beautiful, melancholy song about Morrissey's favorite subject: loneliness. How anyone can make this topic shine is beyond me. I consider Morrissey's voice to be the most important instrument in his music and one of the best - if not THE best - voices in all music. Any genre.
After the opening song, he announced, "Welcome to my sick bed." Possibly making reference to his age? The state of his career? His actual physical condition? Who knows. Boring he is not. Intriguing he always is. Following "Please, Please..." was the big one, "How Soon Is Now." This is most likely the best known Smiths song. And it's always great. The absence of former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr is somewhat noticable, but I'll just save my money and say my prayers for a Smiths reunion some day. I will buy a ticket for that one regardless of the price.
A couple of glaring omissions were, "Bigmouth Strikes Again" and "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" ("...to die by your side is such a heavenly way to die."). The show was relatively short, but quality - not quantity - won out. In his late forties, Morrissey proved that he can still rock. And he's still relevant.
Openers Girl in a Coma had everyone wondering, "Where'd ya get your name?" It HAS to be from the Smith's (Morrissey-penned) song "Girlfriend in a Coma" from 1989's Strangeways Here We Come. Incidentally, this was the Smiths' last studio album.
Hailing from San Antonio, the girls rocked the house with music which really could be considered Smiths-like. With intelligent lyrics and nonstop energy, Girl in a Coma was positively received by the crowd. Highlights included "Road To Home" and "Their Cell."
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