Last night at the Hammerstein Ballroom Morrissey and his band tore through a 22 song set with fervor. His backing band was tight and played powerfully with zeal and joy. Their sound had a ferocious bite that kept the SRO crowd happy all night. His rhythm section is comprised of two brothers. No surprise once you hear them, as they sound so good together, they've probably been doing so since they were in diapers.
Morrissey's vocals soared over the wall of sound his band provided no matter how loud they rocked the joint. For his part, he worked the room like the seasoned alternative rock statesman that he has become. He conveys a charm and charisma from the stage that keeps the audience engaged every second he's out there.
Two songs in the middle of the set leaned towards the mid-tempo side. Outside of that coupling Morrissey and his band kept up a furious pace. Briefly between some songs he addressed the crowd. Mostly, he sang his ass off.
The set list was made up of both solo tunes as well as Smiths songs. Both Morrissey and the band treated each and every song equally, wringing every note and emotion possible out of them.
Some performers exude a joy onstage that makes it clear how much they enjoy what they're doing. Last night in New York City, Morrissey had a blast. It was my pleasure to share his good time.