Access Atlanta > Arts > Our Reviews > Archives > 2004 > October > 23
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Morrissey Plays the Tabernacle
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Morrissey is a man of many moods, though most folks probably associate him with misery. At the Tabernacle Friday night, the mayor of Mope-ton seemed pretty happy. And the worshipful fans that tussled over his sweaty shirts and reached for his hand looked downright giddy.
His set relied heavily on his recent album, “You Are the Quarry.� He was chatty, playful and in remarkably fine voice as he led his seasoned band — several have backed him for a decade — through more than half of the tunes on that disc. Songs that seemed lackluster on the album were brighter and punchier on stage, holding their own alongside earlier solo bright spots such as “November Spawned a Monster,� “Everyday Is Like Sunday� and “Now My Heart Is Full.�
The packed house saved its loudest cheers for the Smiths tunes, though. The set began and ended with a couple of gems from those glory days. The throbbing pulse of “How Soon Is Now?� was powerful as ever, but “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out,� the night’s lone encore, may be the loveliest tune Morrissey and his Smiths songwriting partner Johnny Marr ever wrote. It was a fitting closing statement for a show that proved Morrissey is still as charismatic as ever.
