Morrissey at the Forest Hills Stadium, Queens

Steven Patrick Morrissey, better known by his singular stage name of Morrissey, was born in Davyhulme, England, and spent his childhood in nearby Manchester. He worked as a clerk for the civil service and then the tax collection agency, as a salesperson in a record store, and as a porter in a hospital. In the early 1970s, his passion for music led to him forming a British fan club for the New York Dolls. In 1977, he fronted the unsuccessful punk rock band the Nosebleeds, followed by Slaughter & the Dogs. In the early 1980s, he moved into music journalism and authored several books on music and film. He finally found economic security when he and Johnny Marr formed the Smiths in 1982. After four popular albums, mounting personal differences between Morrissey and Marr erupted and ultimately ended the Smiths in 1987. Morrisey launched a solo career in 1988, initially enjoying far more success in Great Britain than in America. Relocating to Los Angeles, California, he took a musical hiatus in 1998 and resumed recording and touring in 2003. Morrissey released his 12th and most recent album, a collection of cover songs called California Son, on May 24, 2019.

Morrissey often makes headlines with controversial and highly opinionated statements. Recent quotes that many interpreted as anti-immigrant caused waves on the internet, with rock fans campaigning for a boycott of his tour. Nevertheless, four months after his week-long concert series at a Broadway theater, Morrissey co-headlined with Interpol at Forest Hills Stadium to a substantial audience. Accompanied by guitarists Boz Boorer  and Jesse Tobias, keyboardist Gustavo Manzur, bassist Mando Lopez, and drummer Matt Walker, Morrissey performed 15 songs from his solo work, two Smiths songs, and five cover songs written decades ago. The set opened with "You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side," reportedly performed live for the first time since 2007. Rather than sing with a Manchester accent, Morrissey articulated so clearly that hardly a lyric was lost. He crooned and brooded with his rich baritone voice, singing lyrics that frequently were dark and bleak while searching for peace and clarity. The up-tempo and mid-tempo songs were fine, but his choice of covers was puzzling. Laura Nyro? Melanie? Gary Puckett & the Union Gap? Where was he going with these sappy 1960s tunes? The music was fine when it rocked but too much of the show seemed to become a lounge act. Hopefully Morrissey will reinvent himself and forego these cabaret elements.

Setlist:

1. You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side
2. Alma Matters
3. Hairdresser on Fire
4. I Wish You Lonely
5. Satan Rejected My Soul
6. Morning Starship (Jobriath cover)
7. Wedding Bell Blues (Laura Nyro cover)
8. Lady Willpower (Gary Puckett & the Union Gap cover)
9. I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
10. If You Don't Like Me, Don't Look at Me
11. Munich Air Disaster 1958
12. Seasick, Yet Still Docked
13. Why Don't You Find Out for Yourself
14. That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore (The Smiths song)
15. Never Again Will I Be a Twin
16. Back on the Chain Gang (The Pretenders cover)
17. The Bullfighter Dies
18. Jack the Ripper
19. Some Say (I Got Devil) (Melanie cover)
20. Irish Blood, English Heart

Encore:

1. Everyday Is Like Sunday
2. How Soon Is Now? (The Smiths song)