The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 26, 1997 -11 Wizard of Moz: Morrissey hypnotizes Hill with eerie, evocative set By Brian Cohen Daily Arts Writer Why do people go to concerts? Do they go solely because of the music? Do they go only to see the performer up close and in the flesh? Or do they simply go just for the 'joi de vive' concert experience? In the case of Morrissey, fans flock to the concerts because *y have no choice. They travel from great distances because they know that Morrissey has touched them. They wait around his hotel because they admire his ability to champion the small shy body inside us all. They swarm around his tour bus before sound check because they understand that Morrissey is one of the most important rock icons of this generation. They go to see Stephen Patrick Morrissey simply because it is something they have to do. This unique relationship between artist and fan was dis- played brilliantly at Wednesday night's performance at Hill Auditorium. Clad in all black as he sauntered onstage, Morrissey's captivating stage presence was instantly evident and undeniable. With his trademark widow's peak and sunken brow enhanced all the more by the dramatic stage lighting, Moz greeted the screaming audience with handshakes andU smiles, and then launched into a roaring rendition of "Maladjusted" - the first song off his newest album of the same name. R Morrissey's voice soared as he whipped around the microphone wire like a poised I ' and practiced lion tamer. Drawing mostly from the material of his last three solo efforts, the set flowed very smoothly from song to song. A rocky "Billy Budd" from 1994's "Vauxhall And I" followed next, and then came the single "The Boy Racer" from 1995's "Southpaw Grammar," which showcased a stellar three-part vocal harmo- ny courtesy of guitarists Alain Whyte and Boz Bdorer. Perhaps Morrissey's most popular and widely known single, "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get," was worked into the set next, set afire with a jazzy introduction by the sharply dressed Boz. Current single "Alma Matters" then followed, as Morrissey's gyrating hips and uninhibited baritone had the crowd hanging onto every word. Morrissey flailed his arms in sharp right angle thrusts as the thick and driving guitars on future single "Roy's Keen" made audience members feel a sonic boom in the heart of their ster- num. After a mediocre performance of Southpaw's "Reader Meet Author" came the eerie "Ambitious Outsiders," during which the swaying silhouette of Morrissey's looming figure was projected onto the entire Hill Auditorium ceiling. "And now for the serious stuff," uttered The Mozzer as the spirited "Satan Rejected My Soul" set the crowd up perfectly for the tender ballad "Now My Heart Is Full," where Morrissey sang to the crowd in front of the stage on one knee against a warm glow of soft blue lights. Then came a rare and precious treat in the form of "Paint A Vulgar Picture", a song taken from The Smiths' final album "Strangeways Here We Come." Admittedly still a fan of the material from his earlier days as a member of The Smiths, 'E Morrissey has nevertheless usually refrained from including any Smiths songs from his solo concerts. However, perhaps due to the timely application of the song's lyrics ("At the record company meeting ... ooh the plans they weave and ooh the sickening greed/ re-issue!, re-package!, re-package!, re-evalu- ate the songs ... but you could have said V vI E W no if you wanted to") with the recent unsanctioned re-release of Morrissey's Morriss debut solo album "Viva Hate" by EMI Records, "Paint A Vulgar Picture" was Hi1 Auditorium included in the set and took the audience e. 24, 1997 to a whole new plateau of intensity. The set closed with the sinister epic "The Teachers Are Afraid Of The Pupils", which was as intriguing as it was anti-climactic following the previous Smiths' gem. Following a short recess, Morrissey returned to the crowd's deafening roar wearing a University of Michigan swimming t- shirt, which, needless to say, increased the audience cheers 12- fold. Easily the highlight of the show, Moz and company kicked into a majestic rendition of "Shoplifters Of The World Unite"- another blast from the Smiths' catalog. The audience yelled every word and provided a cushion of sound for Morrissey to croon sweetly overtop, making the song sound far better than it ever possibly could have on album alone. Morrissey gets reactions out of his fans that most artists will never come close to experiencing in their entire careers. His concerts have become virtually ritualistic, with the customary throwing of gladiolas, the habitual practice of fans leaping onstage, the throwing of letters, cards, and even wrapped pre- sents onstage, and even the presence of token Morrissey looka- likes. No other performer can boast such a grateful and appre- ciative base of fans who treat every live performance as if it were the single most important thing in their entire life. Always ready with wit, on Wednesday Morrissey's mind, body, soul and voice were nothing short of top drawer. Morrissey again proved his ability to produce a unique fusion of energy and drama while maintaining an intense personal connection with his audience that will love him "now, today, tomorrow and always." BOHDAN DAMIAN Can you say he went about things the wrong way? Morrissey performed to a soldout Hill Auditorium Wednesday night. SON VOLT Continued from Page 10 CAP/Daily powers at bay / They want us kinder, gentler, at their feet.' Of Farrar's penchant for sociopoliti- cal commentary, Heidom said, "It real- ly is thought-provoking. I think he says more with half a phrase than a politi- cian could say with a 15-page speech.' 3ut political issues are only one of trar's many themes. Returning to "Way Down Watson," the song could also be interpreted as an allegory for a romantic relationship coming to a gut- wrenching, crashing conclusion. "Feel the heartstrings sinking fast," he sings; "another treasure found, another tum- bling down" Throughout the latest album and, indeed, his career, Farrar has plumbed the emotional depths of ]fe with poetic grace and powerful act. "Straightaways" offers one of his most mournful love songs yet, the keening "Left A Slide." As the song ebbs and swells atop Heywood's weep- ing steel, Farrar sings, "Minefields there were from the start / Watching out for the worst, never clear 'til it hurts / Call it off, make amends / This life burns down from both ends." "'Ilike the way he can twist a rase," Heidorn said. "I think he has a true talent for that and I always enjoy hearing it" Besides his active working-class consciousness, his appreciation of his- tory and his ability to speak eloquently about affairs of the heart, Farrar also has a philosophical side steeped in existentialism. On the first Tupelo record, Farrar sang that he would prefer "a whiskey bottle over Jesus" - he lieves that "there's nothing greater tfan the traveling hands of time," as he sang in "Tear Stained Eye" on Son Volts 1995 landmark album, "Trace." Farrar's faith rests not in any God but in the knowledge that transcendence is found in the simplicity of life itself - "Learning is living and the truth is a state of mind," "Tear Stained Eye" con- tinues. Sounding much like a modern- ay Camus or Sartre on the new bum's "Creosote," he sings that "Everyone faces what they deserve / It's a carousel to claim or curse / We're stickin' around, at least for the ride." If that ride is Farrar's career trajecto- ry, PIll certainly stick around to follow it. No songwriter working today writes with such depth, intelligence, complex- ity and subtlety as Farrar; no band can shift from roiling, Crazy Horse fury to delicate, Van Zandt introspection with *ch versatility, cohesion and ease as on Volt.'This songwriter is the most important in America right now, and his band the best.