Originally scheduled to kick-off in Mexico City on September 10, the rescheduled “40 Years of Morrissey” tour rebooted in Orlando, Florida earlier this month after the British crooner and former frontman of the Smiths had fully recovered from some recent health concerns.
After sweeping through Georgia, Tennessee and Washington, D.C., the United Palace – a lavish theater nestled in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan – welcomed Morrissey (affectionately dubbed “Moz” by Smiths bandmate Johnny Marr) this past Saturday night, October 21, for the first of four shows in a brief residency.
Constructed in 1930, United Palace occupies a full city block and functions not only as a nonprofit performing arts center that has hosted artists the likes of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Adele, Arcade Fire and Kraftwerk, but also as a spiritual center. You may have also seen the epochal venue as a backdrop for the film John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and in the Hulu television series Only Murders in the Building.
With showtime looming, latecomers entered the majestic theater from Broadway on a chilly autumn evening and into the grand foyer, many ‘blown away’ (as I was) by the sheer grandeur of the scene. At half past eight o’clock, a pair of square-shaped, side-by-side video screens suddenly came to life and for the next 30-minutes, displayed a barrage of images and video clips featuring actors and musicians who have inspired Morrissey over the years, including Roxy Music, David Bowie, Eddie Cochran and Sidney Poitier. The biggest reaction from the audience occurred when the breakthrough video of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” featuring the iconic, closeup visage of the late Sinéad O’Connor, appeared wondrously.
At 9:10 pm, as the house lights went down, the crowd literally jumped out of their seats and erupted with rapturous applause. It was officially “Game On!” The perpetually suave Morrissey elegantly took the stage, dressed in black from head to toe, as he and his talented quintet of back-up musicians instantly transported us to 1992 with “We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful” (Your Arsenal). Over the course of nearly 90-minutes, Morrissey gifted his legion of die-hard fans an eclectic set that incorporated a glorious blend of five tracks from his days with The Smiths, highlighted by “How Soon Is Now?,” the beginning of which signaled the simultaneously raising of cell phones high into the air to forever record the moment into eternity.
The remainder of the nineteen-song set comprised tunes lifted from an extensive discography spanning Morrissey’s debut solo studio album released in 1988 (Viva Hate) to his upcoming studio album entitled Without Music the World Dies, with a tentative release date of later this year. As the night turned for home, Morrissey presented “Sure Enough, the Telephone Rings,” recorded in early-2021 and originally intended to appear on the studio album entitled Bonfire Of Teenagers – but will not be released by Capitol Records, the label Morrissey departed acrimoniously and who are now holding onto the album’s rights (at least for the time being). Morrissey and his signature baritone voice, in top form all night, exquisitely delivered the critically acclaimed “Everyday Is Like Sunday,” written shortly after the Smiths break-up, and yet another goosebump inducing moment.
Returning to the stage after a several minute interlude, each band member – Jesse Tobias (lead guitar), Carmen Vandenberg (rhythm guitar), Juan Galeano Toro (bass), Camila Grey (keyboards) and Brendan Buckley (drums) – took a moment center stage at the mic to say a few words (entirely in Español), thanking all of us for being there. Waiting in the wings, Morrissey was now rocking his own T-shirt merch which featured the likeness of Billy Halop, an American actor from Queens who rose to fame in the 1930s. As the encore performance of “Speedway” (Vauxhall and I, 1994) neared its climax, Morrissey shed his shirt and tossed it to a lucky fan, exiting the stage bare-chested to a sustained ovation from the 3,500 capacity crowd that never sat down all night long. As I filed out of United Palace within a throng of highly satisfied patrons and into the chilly October night, I was already thinking about what special surprises lie in store for the next three residency gigs.
Following the final night of the U.S. tour leg at United Palace on October 25, Morrissey’s global trek will resume on November 9 in Singapore, followed by shows in Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand on December 14. Morrissey will then take some well-deserved time off until early-February, at which time he will play the rescheduled Mexico City show on February 3, 2024, followed by South American dates culminating in Brazil on February 24.
Watch Moz’s Saturday night performance of “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want,” recorded by the Smiths and released in 1984 as the B-side of the single “William, It Was Really Nothing,” below:
Setlist: We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful > Our Frank > Suedehead > Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before* > Alma Matters > Half a Person* > I Wish You Lonely > Let Me Kiss You > How Soon Is Now?* > Girlfriend in a Coma* > Darling, I Hug a Pillow > The Loop > The Night Pop Dropped > Sure Enough, the Telephone Rings > Irish Blood, English Heart > Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want* > Everyday Is Like Sunday > Jack the Ripper
Encore: Speedway
*the Smiths cover
UPCOMING MORRISSEY WORLD TOUR DATES
11/09/23 – Singapore, Singapore @ Star Theater
11/16/23 – Chek Lap Kok, New Territories, Hong Kong @ AsiaWorld-Expo
11/18/23 – Bangkok, Thailand @ Samyan Hall
11/22/23 – Jakarta, Indonesia @ Istora Senayan Jakarta
11/28/23 – Tokyo, Japan @ Toyosu Pit
12/01/23 – Perth, Australia @ Perth Concert Hall
12/04/23 – Melbourne, Australia @ Palais Theater
12/05/23 – Melbourne, Australia @ Palais Theater
12/08/23 – Brisbane, Australia @ Fortitude Music Hall
12/10/23 – Sydney, Australia @ State Theater
12/11/23 – Sydney, Australia @ State Theater
12/14/23 – Auckland, New Zealand @ The Civic
02/03/24 – Mexico City, Mexico @ Palacio de los Deportes
02/08/24 – Lima, Peru @Anfiteatro del Parque de la Exposición
02/10/24 – Bogata, Columbia @ Movistar Arena
02/15/24 – Santiago, Chile @ Movistar Arena
02/17/24 – Buenos Aires, Argentina @ Movistar Arena
02/22/24 – São Paulo, Brazil @ Espaço Unimed
02/24/24 – Brasilia, Brazil @ Opera Hall
Comments are closed.