Chicago, IL - Civic Opera House (July 9, 2015) post-show

Post your info and reviews related to this concert in the comments section below. Other links (photos, external reviews, etc.) related to this concert will also be compiled in this section as they are sent in.


Setlist:

The Queen Is Dead / Suedehead / Alma Matters / Staircase At The University / Ganglord / World Peace Is None Of Your Business / Speedway / Kiss Me A Lot / I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris / Scandinavia / Everyday Is Like Sunday / Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before / Yes, I Am Blind / Istanbul / First Of The Gang To Die / I Will See You In Far-Off Places / The Bullfighter Dies / Meat Is Murder / Now My Heart Is Full // What She Said

setlist provided by DrKeith



 
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20150709_211425.jpg
 
wonder what that was about

A lot of energy tonight and the crowd was great. Saw very few open seats near the top. Oddly enough there was an amusing moment during meat is murder. In the beginning of the song around the first verse Morrissey sees something in the crowd and starts cracking up. He then very cutely says stop it.
 
Must of been a lot of Krauts, ribs, and Polish sausage in that parking lot. Well, at least there weren't any "Bears" jerseys sighted from the photos.

The San Diego ticket situation is strange in that the show isn't even listed on the North Park Theater calendar. San Diego is always a great alternative to the Mexican gang member shows in LA.
 
Must of been a lot of Krauts, ribs, and Polish sausage in that parking lot. Well, at least there weren't any "Bears" jerseys sighted from the photos.

Parking lot? At the Civic Opera House? The audience, from what I could tell, was quite urbane and well behaved.
 
Not my favorite show. 20 song set list, technically all flawlessly performed (aside some laughter, some sneezing) but very low energy. Crowd didn't seem in it. Moz didn't seem his normal self (looked healthy, thru his shirt as always, looked fit.) No opening act (which is a huge step up from Young.)

Hard to say exactly why I didn't like this show without seeming petty but of my 20 or so shows this is by far my least favorite.

Encore (What She Said) was even weak; compare this to Still Ill (Congress Theater 2014) and that is, in a nutshell, why this was just a mediocre show. After canceling so many shows I was so hoping for a barn burner. I will say Civic Opera House is a top notch venue, still I'd pay 10:1 to see the Congress show again over this one.
 


"Meat is Murder." Yea...you can see his cheeks. He's laughing and near misses the first line. Dying to know what made him laugh like this.
 
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I disagree, I think the crowd was into the show. Also, he hasn't played in Chicago since Dec. 2011 but it was at the Congress. The 2013 show that was to be at the Chicago Theater was postponed and rescheduled a few times before being canceled.
 
I don't know much about Morrissey, and yesterday was the first time I saw him in concert. It was not a great show, in my opinion. He hardly played anything I knew, and that's fine - if I were a fan and knew the stuff he did play, I might have been really happy with it (though my buddy who brought me was utterly disappointed, and he's a HUGE fan, particularly from The Smiths). For the most part, I thought the music was very good, but there were some technical things I didn't like. I've read people talking about the sound being great. I actually thought it was awful. At least in the beginning of the show. They may have made some adjustments as the show went on, or I may have gotten accustomed to it, but I was in the second row of the balcony, dead center, so the sound should have been very pure there. Another thing was the use of the lights. They would flash on piercingly bright. Instead of leaning forward and getting into the show, I was recoiling and protecting my eyes.

He basically used the giant video screen to any real effect two times. Once for "Ganglord" and a second time for "Meat Is Murder." His goal was clearly to shock and disturb, and in that regard, he succeeded. At least with me. I considered walking out during "Ganglord." I also considered going on stage and knocking him out. The videos he was showing of police brutality were so intense, I could barely handle it. He basically Donald Trumped the entire police force, saying that they were all cruel thugs who get off on beating defenseless victims. I was offended on behalf of all the good cops out there. I'd like to see him walk a beat in those neighborhoods, every day. See if he doesn't behave as deplorably as the cops he showed. I had to go online during the next song so I could read the lyrics and see if I had missed the point. I was glad to see that, to a degree, I had. But the videos were inexcusable.

Similarly with "Meat is Murder" - I get it. He doesn't like to see animals get killed, particularly in the cruel way we (the human race) sometimes do. The videos were at least as disturbing as "Ganglord"s, particularly the clip of the cow with his head locked into place while his neck was slit open - blood started spurting out and the cow started seizing. I don't know if that was the worst video because I had to avert my eyes a lot.

So, except for the still of the queen of England flicking everyone off, and the written words "United King-Dumb" beneath a still of Prince what's-his-name and Kate Middleton, the screen was basically used to show horror videos during those two songs and to show some picture of him and St. Vincent. I don't know. The show sucked. He wanted to shock? He shocked. So he shouldn't be shocked that I left it much less interested in him than I was when I walked in.
 
The venue for Moz’s Chicago comeback (he’s cancelled 3 times in 4 years) was the opulent and grand Opera house where rock-n-roll shows are a rare thing. You mean I can take my drink to my velvet-covered seat? Why, yes, says the tuxedoed attendant. Tina Turner is dancing frenetically on the Youtube footage whilst Ike plots mayhem on guitar. Poets run rampant with poems about life, death, and more death. And yet, the NY Dolls are still on the tube, forever on Moz’s playlist.

The lights dim and Klaus Nomi starts to wail about death as the Opera house serves as perfect backdrop. Why Klaus never played the Civic Opera is a great mystery? Moz and company saunter on with beckoning applause and aplomb. Moz chimes “Chi-ca-go” 3 times as if the expel the ghosts of the past. The Queen (the one on the screen!) extends her middle fingers and TQID is shot out of its cannon. Moz’s voice is stronger than a pack of wild horses. The band keeps the belt-it-out-loud vibe flowing with Suedehead and Alma Matters. Even new song, Staircase, sounds crisp and polished, like they’ve been playing it for the last 5 years.

Things take a turn as “Cops gone bad” appear on the screen during Ganglord. Do I really need to see a “Bad Lieutenant” beating on innocent people and animals? The song performed by itself works perfectly well and conveys the relevant message, thank you. WPINOYB is next and some of the crowd storm out in search of their 4th drink while the ones that remain get a bit restless and unimpressed. Speedway, Kiss me & Paris turn the tide for the good and the mass sing-a-long starts up again.

The grinding halt, known as Scandinavia, plods along waiting for someone to kill it. It sounds great but the tempo just doesn’t work. But as Scandinavia dourly ends, we enter the sweet spot of the set-list – Sunday, Stop Me, Blind, First of the Gang. All sounding lively, new and strong.

Far off Places rises like a phoenix in the Opera house and sounds better than on record. Bullfighter is short, sweet and lovely. And then there is the dead bull walking on the stage, Meat is Murder. The footage looks cobbled together from Israeli TV (there were Hebrew subtitles) and not only takes aim at livestock & poultry consumption but also fish and eggs/dairy get their airing too. I found the footage less brutal as the previous version last seen at the Chicago Congress. There is some laughter from Moz at the beginning but I’m not sure what the joke was about. And yes, he did miss a few lines as well.

Half expecting Moz to exit stage left, he launches into a rousing version of Now my Heart is full. A true gem in the setlist if there ever was one. And then he takes his exit.

After a 5 minute wait and wardrobe change, he strides back on for the rollicking What she said and a few brave ones attempt to crash his party with one lad content to just stand on stage and pull faces. A shirt is ripped and torn from his torso and launched into the crowd. A shirtless Moz jogs to stage right and the show is over.

The band was very impressive I might add. They were extremely tight. Even on Smiths’ songs, they elevated the songs to their lofty heights. Jesse Tobias has really improved his axe skills and almost makes me forget the guitarists who have gone on before him.

It’s great to see Moz back in the saddle on a mad gallop. Just wish he addressed the crowd a bit more and reached out more often like he used to do at his past shows. But the man, the legend, the songs and the performance are all still there for all to take in and enjoy and soothe.
 


"Meat is Murder." Yea...you can see his cheeks. He's laughing and near misses the first line. Dying to know what made him laugh like this.


The cows who died over the last 33 years to provide him with cheese don't get the joke...

best
The Ghost Of BB
 
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Does anyone know the name of the European male singer who played during the opening videos before the concert started?!?
 
Does anyone know the names/references/film stills used as the backdrops? Particularly the young girl in the veil and the gentleman in profile with the loose tie?
 
I don't know much about Morrissey, and yesterday was the first time I saw him in concert. It was not a great show, in my opinion. He hardly played anything I knew, and that's fine - if I were a fan and knew the stuff he did play, I might have been really happy with it (though my buddy who brought me was utterly disappointed, and he's a HUGE fan, particularly from The Smiths). For the most part, I thought the music was very good, but there were some technical things I didn't like. I've read people talking about the sound being great. I actually thought it was awful. At least in the beginning of the show. They may have made some adjustments as the show went on, or I may have gotten accustomed to it, but I was in the second row of the balcony, dead center, so the sound should have been very pure there. Another thing was the use of the lights. They would flash on piercingly bright. Instead of leaning forward and getting into the show, I was recoiling and protecting my eyes.

He basically used the giant video screen to any real effect two times. Once for "Ganglord" and a second time for "Meat Is Murder." His goal was clearly to shock and disturb, and in that regard, he succeeded. At least with me. I considered walking out during "Ganglord." I also considered going on stage and knocking him out. The videos he was showing of police brutality were so intense, I could barely handle it. He basically Donald Trumped the entire police force, saying that they were all cruel thugs who get off on beating defenseless victims. I was offended on behalf of all the good cops out there. I'd like to see him walk a beat in those neighborhoods, every day. See if he doesn't behave as deplorably as the cops he showed. I had to go online during the next song so I could read the lyrics and see if I had missed the point. I was glad to see that, to a degree, I had. But the videos were inexcusable.

Similarly with "Meat is Murder" - I get it. He doesn't like to see animals get killed, particularly in the cruel way we (the human race) sometimes do. The videos were at least as disturbing as "Ganglord"s, particularly the clip of the cow with his head locked into place while his neck was slit open - blood started spurting out and the cow started seizing. I don't know if that was the worst video because I had to avert my eyes a lot.

So, except for the still of the queen of England flicking everyone off, and the written words "United King-Dumb" beneath a still of Prince what's-his-name and Kate Middleton, the screen was basically used to show horror videos during those two songs and to show some picture of him and St. Vincent. I don't know. The show sucked. He wanted to shock? He shocked. So he shouldn't be shocked that I left it much less interested in him than I was when I walked in.

If you're admitting that you're not even a fan, what are you doing on a Morrissey fansite? No one here cares about your opinion. Thanks.
 
If you're admitting that you're not even a fan, what are you doing on a Morrissey fansite? No one here cares about your opinion. Thanks.

If you're admitting that you're not interested in reading people's personal reactions to the Chicago show, what are you doing on a thread that discusses that show? No one here cares about your Cult indoctrination. Thanks.

GOBB
Good morning from The Shire!
 
If you're admitting that you're not interested in reading people's personal reactions to the Chicago show, what are you doing on a thread that discusses that show? No one here cares about your Cult indoctrination. Thanks.

GOBB
Good morning from The Shire!

Another one to add to the list of people who think you are a knob, Brummie

Surface

Ignore Brummie, he simply a liar and an abuser of members of this forum!
 
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