Man, this was a good year for shows. As always, I'm sure there are concerts I saw that are lost to the mists of my mind, but what follows is still a solid list.
The Eagles [The Palace of Auburn Hills 2.15] -- Now, this was kind of exciting, as this was their Hell Freezes Over first reunion tour where they still actually appeared to enjoy themselves, and I was in the front row, directly in front of Don Felder and Joe Walsh. (Got a guitar pick from Don, too.) It was also the most I'd ever paid for a concert ticket up to that point: $85. Went with a bunch of co-workers from Boomers and got a free hotel room for the night all by myself.
Oasis [Orbit Room, Grand Rapids 3.20] -- Their first U.S. headlining tour, off their debut album Definitely Maybe (still their best, full stop). Someone threw something at Liam, and in his nearly indecipherable accent he told the crowd he'd walk off the stage if he was hit again; of course, he was promptly hit again, and he stormed off as promised. Noel finished the set on lead vocals, and there was no encore. Rock and roll.
Throwing Muses [St. Andrew’s Hall, Detroit 4.10] -- I made Kristin Hersh laugh backstage at something I said, and all was right in the universe. The show was good, too.
Portishead [Industry, Pontiac 4.27] -- Darkly mysterious, hip-hop and post-punk playing in the same sandbox together with carbon monoxide in the air, playing the entirety of Dummy, a big band in a small (much-missed) venue.
Juliana Hatfield / Jeff Buckley [St. Andrew’s Hall 5.25] -- Not much to say here, except that I saw JEFF FUCKING BUCKLEY live, playing "Kick Out The Jams" in Detroit Rock City. And backstage, I was the only dude surrounded by at least twenty women who wanted to fuck the shit out of Jeff Buckley, soon to die at the hands of the rip currents of the mighty Mississippi River. And oh yeah, Juliana Hatfield must have seen his set and thought "fuuuuuuuuuuck" to herself, having to follow JB.
PJ Harvey / Tricky [St. Andrew’s Hall 5.27] -- Nice gig, with both artists touring on strong albums. Tricky asked the audience for pot a few times, and PJ put on the red dress and corrupted the dreams of all that saw her. A force of nature in lipstick.
Elastica [St. Andrew’s Hall 5.31] -- Hardly a more perfect debut, both live and on record. In retrospect, they would have to fade just as quickly as they caught fire, but for that one moment in time, a thrilling soundtrack to the upcoming summer.
Moby [St. Andrew’s Hall 6.3] -- This was the peak of the first wave of Moby's popularity, pre-Play and before commercial saturation and public retreat marked his career. Electronic music that rocked, fronted by an unlikely star.
R.E.M. / Luscious Jackson [The Palace of Auburn Hills 6.6] -- One of the first "alternative" albums I was given in the '80s was the third album from R.E.M., which was so unlike my standard radio fare that I didn't know what to make of it at first. Of course, I quickly caught on, and was transfixed and hypnotized by my favorite band for many years to come. They rocked out the jams from Monster (the closest thing that came to grunge in their musical universe) and some old warhorses, but this show is remarkable for what failed to happen as well: Radiohead was opening some R.E.M. shows, playing The Bends and preparing to make the leap into OK Computer. That would have been much cooler than Luscious Jackson, "Naked Eye" or not.
King Crimson [State Theater, Kalamazoo 6.12] -- I was sick as a dog for this show, but there was no way I was going to miss the double trio iteration of the Crim, especially in such a wonderful venue for a "serious" rock concert. When I went to the bathroom, there were five guys breathlessly discussing the gear that Fripp was using on stage, as if they were swapping the last words of Jesus Christ. Needless to say, not a lot of women at that show.
Alanis Morissette [7th House, Pontiac 7.29] -- Here's another good example of the axiom that record company execs (especially in the '90s) rarely knew what the fuck they were doing. No one knew that Alanis was going to blow up so quickly and so completely, so Alanis was initially trotted out to a few small club shows across the U.S. to set up the album. Then "You Outta Know" became a manifesto, album sales (remember album sales?) skyrocketed, and she was quickly moved to clubs and theaters. But I was there, to quote James Murphy, before the train became a bullet. Good voice, earnest music, but not quite worth the orgasmic voice-of-a-generation breathless praise. Then again, what is?
Bjork [State Theatre Detroit 8.5] -- That voice is an elemental force of nature. It's art-pop with a sheer face that extends miles, yet accessible to anyone. (At this point in her career, at least.) And she's so tiny.
Peter Murphy / Jewel [Industry, Pontiac 8.14] -- The award-winner for "most unlikely touring partners" goes to this ungodly pairing, which happened only because both artists were signed to Atlantic. Again, this was before Jewel sold millions of copies because of an age-old formula (songs + tits + story = gold). The Peter Murphy fans, clad in black clothes and white makeup, ignored Jewel at best and booed her at worst, lightening up at the end of her set when she yodeled her way off the stage. I was supposed to grab some grub with Jewel and a few other record store people after her performance, but she was so distraught by the negative reaction that she shot us down. Six months later, I'm sure her multiplatinum status helped salve the psychic wounds.
Edwyn Collins / Ivy [Industry, Pontiac 9.13] -- Gorgeous George was a great album and "A Girl Like You" was the big radio hit, but Collins had a long career before that with the '80s Scottish band Orange Juice, and with a former Sex Pistol on drums, Collins entertained start to finish. Ivy did their light pop thing to great effect, too.
Del Amitri [St. Andrew’s Hall 9.23] -- One of the best shows ever from an unlikely set of Irish blokes, Del Amitri played a hard-rocking tour through their folk-pop past, including grin-inducing covers of "Lust For Life" and the best version of "Ace Of Spades" this side of Lemmy. And their own heartrending material was well-served by the pump of the volume.
David Bowie / Nine Inch Nails [The Palace of Auburn Hills 10.3] -- Well, this was an interesting experiment. NIN was still riding the crest of The Downward Spiral, while Bowie was getting some decent press for Outside (as well as Nirvana's unplugged version of the Bowie anthem "The Man Who Sold The World"), so naturally, the two units decided to tour together, with NIN as the opening act. NIN would play their volcanic industrial-pop set, the two bands would play a few songs together as a segue, and then Bowie would work his new material, largely ignoring his prior decades of hit and/or well-known material. So of course, the fans packed the NIN set and vanished afterwards, leaving Bowie to play to a half-empty arena. But his band was the nazz, his voice was still ace, the material was solid (including some rearranged half-classics like "Andy Warhol" and "TMWSTW") and when Bowie and Trent Reznor performed together, harmonizing on "Hurt" (which Johnny Cash would lay claim to years later), it really was transcendent.
PJ Harvey [State Theatre, Detroit 10.8] -- Same show as before, different venue, same ass-kicking result.
Electrafixion [St. Andrew’s Hall 11.19] -- Echo & the Grunge-ymen. Energetic and compelling, with some roughed-up Bunnymen songs at the end. Won't win any awards, but a nice way to pass the time.
It was the middle of the '90s, with vocal pop only a few years away from displacing heavy guitar grunge from the main stage; I was working on my first Master's degree, working as an assistant manager for Michigan Wherehouse Records, DJ'ing one or two nights a week at Boomer's, and generally living the life of someone in his mid-twenties to the best extent that he could. And then came '96, where I turned to face the strange ch-ch-changes. But despite any and all upheaval, I can say one thing: Jeff Buckley signed my ticket with two hearts.
The Eagles [The Palace of Auburn Hills 2.15] -- Now, this was kind of exciting, as this was their Hell Freezes Over first reunion tour where they still actually appeared to enjoy themselves, and I was in the front row, directly in front of Don Felder and Joe Walsh. (Got a guitar pick from Don, too.) It was also the most I'd ever paid for a concert ticket up to that point: $85. Went with a bunch of co-workers from Boomers and got a free hotel room for the night all by myself.
Oasis [Orbit Room, Grand Rapids 3.20] -- Their first U.S. headlining tour, off their debut album Definitely Maybe (still their best, full stop). Someone threw something at Liam, and in his nearly indecipherable accent he told the crowd he'd walk off the stage if he was hit again; of course, he was promptly hit again, and he stormed off as promised. Noel finished the set on lead vocals, and there was no encore. Rock and roll.
Throwing Muses [St. Andrew’s Hall, Detroit 4.10] -- I made Kristin Hersh laugh backstage at something I said, and all was right in the universe. The show was good, too.
Portishead [Industry, Pontiac 4.27] -- Darkly mysterious, hip-hop and post-punk playing in the same sandbox together with carbon monoxide in the air, playing the entirety of Dummy, a big band in a small (much-missed) venue.
Juliana Hatfield / Jeff Buckley [St. Andrew’s Hall 5.25] -- Not much to say here, except that I saw JEFF FUCKING BUCKLEY live, playing "Kick Out The Jams" in Detroit Rock City. And backstage, I was the only dude surrounded by at least twenty women who wanted to fuck the shit out of Jeff Buckley, soon to die at the hands of the rip currents of the mighty Mississippi River. And oh yeah, Juliana Hatfield must have seen his set and thought "fuuuuuuuuuuck" to herself, having to follow JB.
PJ Harvey / Tricky [St. Andrew’s Hall 5.27] -- Nice gig, with both artists touring on strong albums. Tricky asked the audience for pot a few times, and PJ put on the red dress and corrupted the dreams of all that saw her. A force of nature in lipstick.
Elastica [St. Andrew’s Hall 5.31] -- Hardly a more perfect debut, both live and on record. In retrospect, they would have to fade just as quickly as they caught fire, but for that one moment in time, a thrilling soundtrack to the upcoming summer.
Moby [St. Andrew’s Hall 6.3] -- This was the peak of the first wave of Moby's popularity, pre-Play and before commercial saturation and public retreat marked his career. Electronic music that rocked, fronted by an unlikely star.
R.E.M. / Luscious Jackson [The Palace of Auburn Hills 6.6] -- One of the first "alternative" albums I was given in the '80s was the third album from R.E.M., which was so unlike my standard radio fare that I didn't know what to make of it at first. Of course, I quickly caught on, and was transfixed and hypnotized by my favorite band for many years to come. They rocked out the jams from Monster (the closest thing that came to grunge in their musical universe) and some old warhorses, but this show is remarkable for what failed to happen as well: Radiohead was opening some R.E.M. shows, playing The Bends and preparing to make the leap into OK Computer. That would have been much cooler than Luscious Jackson, "Naked Eye" or not.
King Crimson [State Theater, Kalamazoo 6.12] -- I was sick as a dog for this show, but there was no way I was going to miss the double trio iteration of the Crim, especially in such a wonderful venue for a "serious" rock concert. When I went to the bathroom, there were five guys breathlessly discussing the gear that Fripp was using on stage, as if they were swapping the last words of Jesus Christ. Needless to say, not a lot of women at that show.
Alanis Morissette [7th House, Pontiac 7.29] -- Here's another good example of the axiom that record company execs (especially in the '90s) rarely knew what the fuck they were doing. No one knew that Alanis was going to blow up so quickly and so completely, so Alanis was initially trotted out to a few small club shows across the U.S. to set up the album. Then "You Outta Know" became a manifesto, album sales (remember album sales?) skyrocketed, and she was quickly moved to clubs and theaters. But I was there, to quote James Murphy, before the train became a bullet. Good voice, earnest music, but not quite worth the orgasmic voice-of-a-generation breathless praise. Then again, what is?
Bjork [State Theatre Detroit 8.5] -- That voice is an elemental force of nature. It's art-pop with a sheer face that extends miles, yet accessible to anyone. (At this point in her career, at least.) And she's so tiny.
Peter Murphy / Jewel [Industry, Pontiac 8.14] -- The award-winner for "most unlikely touring partners" goes to this ungodly pairing, which happened only because both artists were signed to Atlantic. Again, this was before Jewel sold millions of copies because of an age-old formula (songs + tits + story = gold). The Peter Murphy fans, clad in black clothes and white makeup, ignored Jewel at best and booed her at worst, lightening up at the end of her set when she yodeled her way off the stage. I was supposed to grab some grub with Jewel and a few other record store people after her performance, but she was so distraught by the negative reaction that she shot us down. Six months later, I'm sure her multiplatinum status helped salve the psychic wounds.
Edwyn Collins / Ivy [Industry, Pontiac 9.13] -- Gorgeous George was a great album and "A Girl Like You" was the big radio hit, but Collins had a long career before that with the '80s Scottish band Orange Juice, and with a former Sex Pistol on drums, Collins entertained start to finish. Ivy did their light pop thing to great effect, too.
Del Amitri [St. Andrew’s Hall 9.23] -- One of the best shows ever from an unlikely set of Irish blokes, Del Amitri played a hard-rocking tour through their folk-pop past, including grin-inducing covers of "Lust For Life" and the best version of "Ace Of Spades" this side of Lemmy. And their own heartrending material was well-served by the pump of the volume.
David Bowie / Nine Inch Nails [The Palace of Auburn Hills 10.3] -- Well, this was an interesting experiment. NIN was still riding the crest of The Downward Spiral, while Bowie was getting some decent press for Outside (as well as Nirvana's unplugged version of the Bowie anthem "The Man Who Sold The World"), so naturally, the two units decided to tour together, with NIN as the opening act. NIN would play their volcanic industrial-pop set, the two bands would play a few songs together as a segue, and then Bowie would work his new material, largely ignoring his prior decades of hit and/or well-known material. So of course, the fans packed the NIN set and vanished afterwards, leaving Bowie to play to a half-empty arena. But his band was the nazz, his voice was still ace, the material was solid (including some rearranged half-classics like "Andy Warhol" and "TMWSTW") and when Bowie and Trent Reznor performed together, harmonizing on "Hurt" (which Johnny Cash would lay claim to years later), it really was transcendent.
PJ Harvey [State Theatre, Detroit 10.8] -- Same show as before, different venue, same ass-kicking result.
Electrafixion [St. Andrew’s Hall 11.19] -- Echo & the Grunge-ymen. Energetic and compelling, with some roughed-up Bunnymen songs at the end. Won't win any awards, but a nice way to pass the time.
It was the middle of the '90s, with vocal pop only a few years away from displacing heavy guitar grunge from the main stage; I was working on my first Master's degree, working as an assistant manager for Michigan Wherehouse Records, DJ'ing one or two nights a week at Boomer's, and generally living the life of someone in his mid-twenties to the best extent that he could. And then came '96, where I turned to face the strange ch-ch-changes. But despite any and all upheaval, I can say one thing: Jeff Buckley signed my ticket with two hearts.
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