Tuesday, as the first day of May segued into its first evening, Morrissey strolled the lip of the Paramount Theatre stage, calmly watching his fans freak out. His fans freak out whenever Morrissey's onstage. "It strikes me," he said to them finally, stopping before his microphone stand, "that the people who are most satisfied in life are the ones who are most blinkered.
" A pause. A sigh. Then, "I wish to God I could find some of those blinkers.
I really do." He said this, but the song that followed, a jab at right-wing British nationalism called "The National Front Disco," pointedly illustrated the perils of being self-satisfied and shortsighted. In truth, Morrissey doesn't want to too much.
From his days fronting the Smiths to his current career as a solo artist, self-loathing that's inspired a global cult of personality, launched the generation and gender. Morrissey is an everyman for the world's lonely hearts contact, a sexual being who retreats into celibacy, a fatalist who longs for unobtainable joy. To reference the man's own lyrics, he is human and he needs to be loved, just like everybody else.
Tuesday's sold-out show, the first of a two-night Bay Area stand, proved that Morrissey, 47, is adapting gracefully to his role as musical elder. Performing in front of a haunting backdrop of James Dean, he delivered a Tormenters" album and earlier solo and Smiths material. After opening the night with a call of "Mayday!
Mayday!," Morrissey led his five-piece band (wearing matching blue ensembles) into a classic, "The Queen Is Dead," before moving into fresher solo turf with "First of the Gang to Die," "The Youngest Was the Most Loved" and the best toxic love song of the new star. But he can, in fact, rock with the best of them, thanks to his tireless and enthusiastic band.
"Disappointed" and "You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side" spotlighted furious guitars. Jangly, orchestral pop numbers -- "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side," "I've Changed My Plea to Guilty" -- played like bordered on the cinematic with synthesizers, horns, samples and even a giant dampen the mood. An acoustic rendition of the great Smiths song "Please Please it bordered on the holy.
Nothing could top a cathartic run through "How Soon Is Now?" which began with Morrissey sprawled on the floor and ended in a frenzy of love as a few audience members managed to clamber onstage. Morrissey interacted easily with the crowd, calling out to fans by name and then neatly dodging their attempts to tackle him.
He obviously enjoyed teasing -- on his own terms. After finishing "Let Me Kiss You," a song to the front rows. Before the final number of the main set, "I Just Want to See the Boy Happy," Morrissey took a moment to thank the crowd.
"You've all been very nice, and so civil," he said. "As you drive home, try not to kill yourselves." He considered.
"Well," he added, smiling dryly, "do try.
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