Thirty years after their self-titled debut album release, Garbage remains a staple in alternative rock music and their live shows remain remarkable; as was proved Wednesday, Oct. 1 at a nearly sold-out Kemba Live! in Columbus, Ohio.
Led by iconic frontwoman and sensual songstress Shirley Manson,—who was spellbinding, sounding crisp and better than ever—the band (comprised of original members since inception: drummer Butch Vig, who produced Nirvana’s Nevermind and Smashing Pumpkins’ Gish; Garbage co-founder and guitarist Steve Marker; guitarist and Garbage co-founder Duke Erikson; and, live bassist and former Veruca Salt, Smashing Pumpkins touring member, Nikki Fiorentino) performed a crowd pleasing setlist that included tracks from seven of their eight albums (minus Strange Little Birds), including this year’s Let All That We Imagine Be the Light.
The primarily middle-aged crowd sung along and danced to 90’s and early-2000’s classics, which included the band’s often lyrically dark and lovingly sassy rock songs: “Vow,” “The Trick Is To Keep Breathing,” “Queer,” “Push It,” “I Think I’m Paranoid,” “Cherry Lips,” “#1 Crush,” “Bleed Like Me,” “Run Baby Run,” “When I Grow Up,” “Not My Idea,” and others.
At the closing of sexy “sweat it all out” track “Hammering In My Head,” from 1998’s Version 2.0, Manson ended the song with a toast to Columbus, whispering: “In the bullet train from Tokyo to Columbus.”
Prior to performing “Chinese Fire Horse,” Manson said the song was her and the band’s favorite track from the new album—after hearing the catchy repeating verse near the song’s ending, fans could see why it was a favorite: “Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a fucking minute, wait a minute/I'm not dead, I'm not done.”
There was a brief medical emergency that was quickly resolved in the pit; during that, Manson paused the show to address the situation and graciously thanked the crew involved, which received loud applause and cheers.
Manson shined throughout the night and possessed prowess, often holding the mic out for fans to sing and at times moving in her trademark way, ready to pounce—looking down, pacing center stage in a wide circle, grasping the mic stand and lightly tossing the mic up and down.
Pausing briefly between songs to share stories and engage with beloved fans, Manson, who held her homeland Scottish accent while speaking, was reserved when she informed the audience this would likely be the band’s final North American headlining tour, due to lack of sustainability and not being as spunky; Manson laughingly called herself an “old lady.”
Garbage then performed closing song, “The Day I Met God” from the new album and later returned for an encore of “Stupid Girl” and “Only Happy When It Rains.”
A gracious and sentimental closing to a phenomenal, nostalgic, energetic 1 hour and 45-minute set.
Opening the night was LA’s glam and punk band Starcrawler, whom Manson gave major kudos to; admiring their talent and complementing their originality.
Lead singer Arrow de Wilde, with vocals somewhere between Chrissie Hynde and Joan Jett, brought the ruckus with her moves and antics—often collapsing to her knees during instrumental breakdowns and remaining fully in the moment as a true rock star.
The stage (decked out in all pink—from instruments to amps and cords) was also ruled by energetic lead guitarist Henri Cash, who jumped off stage and went into the crowd during the closing of the band’s 30-minute set.
A remarkable punky performance with a bit of 70’s rock, reminiscent of The Pretenders and The Runaways. They’ve been at it since 2015 and have released three studio albums.
Be sure to catch this memorable tour from industry icons Garbage—which ends early November—as it could be their final headlining jaunt across North America.
Tour Dates
https://www.garbage.com/tour-dates/
GARBAGE (click to enlarge)
STARCRALWER (click to enlarge)
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