Morrissey croons at DPAC, fans can't get enough

What was supposed to the eighth show on Morrisey's US tour, Wednesday night's show at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) turned out to be the second. The first four dates in Florida were canceled due to illness. Then the Myrtle Beach show happened but three songs were cut from the set leaving sixteen songs. Next, Atlanta and Asheville were also cancelled. So really Durham received the first full show of the tour.

When Morrissey took the stage at DPAC, it was on. From the opening song, The Smiths' "This Charming Man," Moz was back in full force. He whipped his microphone cable like a lion tamer and wandered the stage greeting fans in the front row while maintaining his smooth, British baritone voice.

After the song "Black Cloud," Morrissey joked with the crowd saying "We also have a Durham, but this one is nicer." The set list was heavy on his new album Years of Refusal. Prior to playing "One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell," he said that the album is "a collection of cautionary tales that no one listens to, but they're nice to write." Seven songs from the set were from the album while there were some choice solo tunes including one of my favorites of the set "Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself." Moz pulled out four Smiths' tunes during the set including "How Soon is Now?" which received a huge cheer from the opening guitar chords.

The true spectacle of the night was the number of people who jumped on stage to grab Morrissey and then be hauled out by security. It started six songs into the set after "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris" when a woman jumped up and hugged Morrissey. She was pulled away when a man jumped up and tried to do the same thing. By the end of the night, I counted ten (though I think there were more) different people who jumped on stage to be carted or kicked off. Seven of those were in the single song encore alone. Moz instigated some of this though. After a few people had already jumped on stage during the encore, he stayed right at edge of the stage and took his shirt off for the second time during the show. He even said at one point "This is as close as I get to S-E-X." It was an amusing to watch people carted off stage throughout the night.

Morrissey may be an odd guy but he puts on a hell of show. If you have a chance to see him on one his upcoming dates across the country, I recommend it.

It is also worth noting that opening band Red Cortez played a nice set as well. The Los Angeles quartet sounded like a mix of The Walkmen and Cold War Kids but with a poppier feel. One of the highights of the set was the rocker "End of an Error." You can watch the music video for the song here.

Morrissey set list:
This Charming Man
Something Is Squeezing My Skull
Black Cloud
Billy Budd
How Soon Is Now?
I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
Mama Lay Softly On the Riverbed
Ask
That's How People Grow Up
How Can Anyone Possibly Know How I Feel?
Let Me Kiss You
Seasick, Yet Still Docked
The Loop
Best Friend On the Payroll
One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell
Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself
I Keep Mine Hidden
The World Is Full of Crashing Bores
Life Is a Pigsty
I'm OK By Myself
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Irish Blood, English Heart