3.11.15

Shirley Manson; Retrospectively still a badass

Once upon a time my friend Adam and I enjoyed a Garbage show at the venue in Urbana now known as the Canopy Club. After the show, this happened.


We are so so so young. So young. Shirley Manson was so excellent, so nice, and so gracious to take a picture with these two idiots. This definitely occurred in late 1997. Adam and I got stuck in the dorms at ISR after this show - I can't remember exactly why, car problems? - and ended up playing Trivial Pursuit with the rest of my floor that hadn't left yet. One failed answer was CYBOT. I don't know why I remember this.

Last night Emily and I had the pleasure of Garbage at Vega. They are currently in the midst of a tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut, self-titled album. I remember my first play in the Neon...with the side-to-side, Vow works best at full volume in a car. Definitely. 

It was a fun show. I'm at the age now where nostalgia is sort of fun but mostly uncomfortable and not fun, but this was fun. They played songs from the debut album / songs they played live from 95-96. Thankfully this included Trip My Wire!

Things started a little slow - definitely some issues with the mixing, vocals definitely drowned out - but once that was sorted, it was a very strong performance. And loud. Very loud.

Shirley still commands a stage. The pacing. The stalking.

They burned down the set with the album opening Vow and it was spectacular. Shirley punctuating everything with some sort of slow-rising-messiah-arms thing that was just spectacular.

The encore was, as Shirley accurately described, even more obscure b-sides. I dig the intent of coming back out, because that's what you do, but there is no coming back out after that ending. It was perfect.

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