[Trash-talk] Madison!

[wilson king]

Well Garbage made it all worth while. I flew out to Chicago on Sunday
morning, picked up a car and then drove up to Madison, getting into
town around 6pm, for the scheduled 7:30 show. Checked into a hotel just
a hop skip jump from the venue, grabbed a quick bite to eat, and went
into the show. Beautiful old theatre, small main floor, and a small
balcony. I went to the floor, and found a pretty good seat just to the
left of the middle section. Even though it was GA, there are actual
seats in the theatre, so first come first served. 

The Dead 60s opened the show, they got the crowd moving a bit, and
seemed to be having fun. But mostly people remained in their seats for
their set, saving their energy for the main attraction.  

The familiar sounds of Johnny Cash singing Hurt came over the PA, and I
knew the show was about to begin! The house lights remained on for a
bit, so most people didn't realize this was the cue that the show was
getting underway. But then the lights did go down, the people got up,
and the applause began... the band makes it's way onstage, save for
Shirley, and more cheering unsues. Then of course The Queen does
appear, front and center, to the delight of all in attendance. 

Queer gets things started, minimal lighting at this point, not even a
spot on Shirley for the first half of the song. But it's loud and good
and I remembered why I'll fly across country to see this band. I picked
the Madison show for obvious reasons, namely that's it's their
hometown, and it's been on my mental "to do" list for years... See
Garbage in Madison. 

Bad Boyfriend kicked in and we're immediately treated to the new
Garbage. I mean in terms of their concert history, they're sounding as
good or better than ever. Meaning really that the live show hasn't
changed much. Just the material they are recording.  Since BLM is more
of a return to their roots, so to speak, an album that sounds more like
live Garbage than any other, it makes sense then that the BLM material
sounds so natural being played live. 

Crowd favorite Suprvixen comes next, and they're really hitting stride
now. Bow down to me, indeed!  

Stupid Girl continues the debut album theme, and then Shirley gives us
her first monologue of the evening. As a roadie changes her shoes
(diva!) she tells us how amazing it is to be back in Madison, where it
all began 10 years earlier, and how utterly unblievable it is that
they've done all they've done since then.  Lots of refernces to friends
and family at the show, looking at the audience and seeing so many
familiar faces. She just reiterated how happy she was to be playing to
the Madison crowd, and how grateful the entire band is for all of the
support over the years. 

Sex is not the Enemy followed, with the added multimedia barrage of
words and references all over the screens. Shirley is always energetic,
but tonight she was especially so. Pacing and prancing and dancing and
jumping and jogging and pumpimg and slumping as only she can.  

Hammering of course is always great live. Grow Up has an interesting
new guitar intro instead of the usual keyboard part... Vow is another G
standard, is this one was no exception. 

Bleed Like Me slowed things down a bit.  Paranoid picked up the pace
again. Only Happy got the crowd way psyched, and the set ending Why DO
You Love Me wrapped up a tight 65 minute set. 

The encore featured Metal Heart, which sounds great live. They didn't
play it at the Warfield so I was glad to hear it here. Chery Lips was
next, and Right Between the Eyes was the end... 

Overall it was a great Garbage show. The energy was great, and they
were especially stoked to be playing in their hometown. It made for
perhaps a little better show than usual. Not to mention they've been on
the road now for over a month, so it's no surprise the shows are a
little better as the tour goes on. 

After that it was just a few blocks to the Cafe Montmartre, where as it
turns out Garbage had planned an aftershow party. I had wanted to just
go there anyway, but now Garbage might actually be there! At first I
couldn't get in, so I killed some time checking out the town a little
bit, and an hour or so later I was able to get inside, with a little
help from some friends! Thanks! (you know who you are)

Butch and Duke were there hanging out, apparently Steve and Shirley
didn't show. Hung out with a bunch of us trash talk ppl, and others,
made some new friends, met up with some old friends. Really cool
scene... place shut down around 1:30, I stumbled back to my room, got
up the next morning, feeling just a bit hungover, and drove back to
Chicago. Caught my flight back to the west coast and by 6pm I was home.
Basically a 36 hr trip from California to Madison and back. (Props to
Southwest airlines for the $79 tickets each way, and for being on time!
They way I planned it, any delays and I might have missed the show. But
it all worked out great). 

Party on peeps. Keep your Garbah! 
 

"The greatest price of refusing to participate in politics is being governed by your inferiors."

 - Plato, The Republic


		
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