· For one, Morrissey would seem to be in the finest voice of his late career: We’ve seen a handful of Mozzer shows over the last few years, and last night found the man loose as a goose. He hit higher notes than we thought he could at this late date, he improvised, and we’re pretty sure he scatted all the way through “The First Of The Gang To Die,” substituting what we believe are the lyrics to the theme from Alfie, starring Michael Caine.
· The Academy of Music, in case you haven’t visited for a while, is gorgeous. Go see anything there. It would have been worth the price of admission just to watch Morrissey’s, pre-show projections of The New York Dolls and random 1970s forgotten pop hits.
· A whole bunch of Smiths tunes peppered the set: Beginning with a version of “This Charming Man” that nearly sounded like the Strokes, and including the lost classic “I Keep Mine Hidden” (b-side to “Girlfriend In A Coma,” last song the Smiths ever recorded), which we’re now playing on loop over and over again.
· Speaking of The Smiths, The Sons & Heirs — who played the afterparty at the Khyber — sounded more like The Smiths than any band, professional cover or otherwise, has any right to. Seriously uncanny. They even had all the same gear. (Note to all local bands: Ditch your Fender amps and pick up a Roland JC-90; herein lies the true heart and soul of all 80s guitar sounds.)
· Don’t think we’re not thinking about shutting down the site and heading to NYC to do it all over again. The Cult Of Moz is a warm and friendly place; if you visit once, you could wind up living there for 25 years.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 23rd, 2009 at 10:25 am.