Morrissey at Benaroya Hall - Review! Updated w/ setlist

NOW MY HEART IS FULL!

 

 

You guys, it’s happened, I’ve finally seen Morrissey in concert! In all seriousness, I’ve had one of the worst years of my life, and being able to see him in person finally has been one of the most profound and powerful experiences I’ve ever had.  The line “I am a ghost, and as far as I know, I haven’t even died,” through this last year has struck me intensely and immensely, because that’s how I’ve felt. So for this to happen means everything to me.  But enough about me, oh where do I begin? Where? Where Where?

I feel as if I’m in a trance, or dream right now, so I hope this turns out; I may not be at my most eloquent.

I felt so nervous all day – I was shaking, I could hardly eat, (in a surprising turn of events somehow, your resident insomniac didsleep the night before); I have it bad, my friends. I was so out of sorts I began to believe the venue was actually called Bena‘roya(L)’ Hall.  

Anyway, when we arrived at the venue, I could NOT believe how close our seats were. It was reserved seating, so we were 6^throw centre – DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE MICROPHONE! Actually, when the lights went dim, a bunch of people rushed ahead, as is usual at a Morrissey concert, and I temporarily made it into the 5^th row, but then the late people showed up and I had to move back AND I nearly got a black eye! Tremendous! And at this venue, I should add, the rows are very close to the stage, so it was really magnificent being so close.

When he walked out, I could not believe how gorgeous Morrissey is in person – so strikingly handsome. I was awestruck.  This is the man whose words have helped me through the hardest times in my life and spoke to me when no one else could.  Now he was standing in front of me; I was overwhelmed.  

And he sounded BEAUTIFUL. I do have to admit I do not have the setlist memorized – although some highlights were One of Our Own and Yes I Am Blind, which were not on the previous set list from Utah, although the setlist was fairly similar. I will post it when I find it in detail.

Setlist:

1.Suedhead
2. Alma Matters
3. Speedway
4. Staircase at the University
5. Ganglord  
6. Kiss Me A Lot
7. World Peace is None of Your Business
8. One Of Our Own
9. Stop Me If You Think That You've Heard This One Before
10. Istabul
11. I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
12. I Will See You in Far Off Places
13. Yes I Am Blind
14. Mama Lay Softly On The Riverbed
15. Bullfighter Dies
16. Now My Heart Is Full
17. People Are The Same Everywhere
18. Meat Is Murder
19. Everyday is Like Sunday
Encore:
20. The Queen is Dead  
       

Some interesting moments for those of us who may be looking for “coincidences” were during Staircase at the University, where during the “If you don’t get 3 A’s” line, he made a THREE gesture with his index, middle, and ring finger down at his side with his left hand. Now, I may be reading into this one a bit much, because it is in the lyrics, but with all this 3 and 4 excitement lately, I did find it extremely interesting.

You may also appreciate that someone in the front row had a bunch of gladioli. He looked at them and asked, “For me?” and added, “I’m sorry I can’t accept those.” Hmmm.

For those of us who look for signs, I should add this Oscar Wilde quote I came across the other day that really spoke to me: "you know more than you think you know, just as you know less than you want to know.” (My fonts are all over the place, but I'm too tired to figure out why).

One extra thing that I'm quite sure I imagined in my throes of ecstasy, but I'll just add it in because it gave me some personal enjoyment; I'll just let myself believe it. He appeared to point in my direction during the “stylish and glum” line in Istanbul. I've referred to myself as "stylish and glum" on this blob. Although to be honest me thinking this is probably quite insane, as I have only on one instance put up a photo on twitter (which I promptly deleted, as I love “flying under the radar”) and my flaxen hair was curled in it, while tonight I wore it straight. The only people around when I tweeted the photo were Kerry and Astraea. I highly doubt he would ever recognize me, but the more you start reading into things, the more you seem to, well, read.

Meat is Murder was so intense for me, and it did bring me to tears. Seeing it in person is so powerful, and I am seriously considering taking the next step (I am already a Vegetarian) and becoming Vegan.  I am so moved by it just thinking about it makes my arms shake a bit as I type.

I HAVE NO IDEA HOW YOU CAN ATTEND A MORRISSEY SHOW, SEE THAT FOOTAGE, AND NOT BECOME VEGETARIAN/VEGAN.  I just don't see how you could ever eat dead animals again when you see the horrors that occur in the meat industry.  

Now, for the shirt toss.  I think Orange will roll all the way out of his fruit bowl when he hears about it. Morrissey came out for TQID as the encore, with a blackish/dark grey shirt with an orange sticker on it, with what appeared to have orange lining under the collar. When he ripped it off, and my goodness it was hard to tear my eyes away from that torso, I noticed, quite blatantly, that the entire lining appeared to be orange. He then turned the shirt inside out, lining exposed, and very flauntingly waved it back and forth for ages before tossing it into the crowd.  

I’m very, very tired and emotionally overwhelmed right now.  I still can’t even believe it happened for me.  I should add I got my pillow case, which I probably need to crash into now.  I still have my letter, as I couldn’t get quite close enough to give it to him.  I genuinely hope I am able to one day, because I can’t imagine how I could have even survived this difficult year without him.  I yelled out “I LOVE YOU” at the top of my lungs at one point, but I have so many things to say. This has been a beautiful, intense, profound, religious experience for me. Unquestionably, the best day of my life.

AT LAST I AM BORN.

And now, onwards to Troutdale.