Garbage @ House of Blues, Dallas, TX

Words and photos by Nick Paruch
Garbage Has Staying Power.

For the part-time Garbage fan who showed up expecting a greatest hits performance, they were in for a shock.  “Stupid Girl” and “Only Happy When It Rains” were not on the setlist.  Instead, the night was a celebration of their second album, Version 2.0, which was remastered and reissued earlier this year and included ten B-Sides from the era.

Shirley Manson casually strutted onto the stage wearing an orange Marilyn Monroe-esque sequined evening gown and black Dr. Martens ready to amaze.  The rest of the band was visually less attention grabbing, although Butch Vig was sporting a 'Beto for Senate' t-shirt.  But everything equalizes once the music starts.

They opened with two B-Sides, “Afterglow” and “Deadwood”, which set the mood, catching the uninitiated off guard but the diehard fans knew they were in for a treat.  They played the classics from the album, “Special”, "I Think I’m Paranoid” and “Push It”, which all sounded and felt enormous.  The real treats of the night were the more obscure tunes.  “Wicked Ways” morphed into “Personal Jesus” and then back out.  Back-to-back covers of Big Star’s “Thirteen” and The Seeds’ “Can’t Seem To Make You Mind” were cherished highlights as the band pushed the boundaries and crushed it musically.  The perky bubblegum sound of “Get Busy With the Fizzy” left everyone in a good mood.

For the encore, the band kicked off with “The Trick Is To Keep Breathing”, which is Manson’s tome to never give up.  The last two were not from Version 2.0, “No Horses” is their latest single with an industrial future sound that speaks to a world on the verge of apocalypse. “Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)” wrapped up the show and is an anthem for the LGBTQ community.  The evening was certainly an emotional one for everyone, including the musicians.  Garbage took us on a journey that included past, present and future leaving us in a better place.

Photos of the show are below:

Contributed by Nick Paruch
Garbage @ House of Blues, Dallas, TX Garbage @ House of Blues, Dallas, TX Reviewed by Scott Rowe, Editor on October 15, 2018 Rating: 5
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