Proclaiming disdain, loneliness and frustration, Morrissey stood center stage for his fans at the Mann Center in Philadelphia. Monday night's weather was a chilly 66 degrees, perfect for telling tales; the crowd huddled together and listened intently, often times singing along, and, at times, trying to steal the spotlight.
Opening with "The Queen is Dead," a song which gave his now defunct band, The Smiths, a legendary title. I, at times, tried desperately to envision Johnny Marr on the guitar, and hoping both he and Morrissey would not spur over differences on stage. But we are past that. Morrissey was talkative and humorous and attempted to intertwine political references into each song he sang - often times changing words in his songs to make a statement ("I've been dreaming of a time when Americans are sick to death of Republicans"). Much to the delight of the crowd, he spoke to us. He gave us a reason to listen. He grabbed the hands of lucky front rowers and threw his shirt into the audience several times, watching fans dive head first in hopes of catching even a thread. It was intimate in the oddest of ways. Intimate, idiosyncratic and ultimately beautiful.
His voice has changed little over the years. Even in the short, audibly fuzzy video clips captured on my mobile, a mere stranger would recognize the voice; inherently English, husky and eccentric.
Never obsequious, Morrissey handed his microphone over to a few audience members and let them have their say. "God bless you always," said one. Morrissey quipped back with a sarcastic, "Always?"
Of course always. He's Morrissey for heaven's sake!
As every crowd has its die-hard fans, it also has its share of "marauders," as well. Five or six people jumped up onto the stage, only to be whisked away by burly security guards, sans one woman who was able to make it onto the stage, and hug the illustrious performer.
As the show drew to a close, he encored with "The Last of the International Playboys."
"Well, it's better than Pink Floyd," he said, alluding to his use of the infamous encore. His backing band began to play - all in brown polos - all obviously deliriously happy to be not only performing, but sharing the same air space with the man.
As was the crowd.
Alas, through all of this, a strange conundrum came into play by the name of Kristeenyoung. I absolutely did not understand why Morrissey or WHOMEVER chose them as the opening act for Morrissey actually chose them. To be frank, I thought they sucked. The girl's voice was bad enough to break glass, and the music absolutely did not stand up. I could think of a hundred other acts in which his tour manager could have utilized. In the end, I suppose it's all about business : or, somebody is playing hide the salami with one of the members of KY (KY, crap that makes sense) and felt obliged to book them with Morrissey.
