The Agora, Clevland, OH
October 24, 1999
From: Paula 'Keefe/Angelynx (martiangirl@planetmail.com)
(--in the small ballroom, not the main one, which was sensible...) Again very cold - cripes! it's only October! - but luckily we were able to get into the club's impressive lobby (the Agora is on the ground floor of a large business complex) and didn't have to wait outside.
Long digression first, because this really was one for the books. We sat on the floor, watched bandfolk come and go and James S. make repeated trips to and from the pay phone. Noted with amusement that the posters for tonight's show read "10-24-96" =). The Mission began their soundcheck...
...and an unmistakable guitar line floated down the empty hallway. Unbelievable. We stopped dead in mid-conversation and stared as one toward the closed door, with a collective "oh my god." It was "Marian".
We held our breath as they played on. Having discovered the Sisters just a little too late to see the classic lineup play live, we had resigned ourselves to the sad certainty that we'd never hear Wayne play this beautiful creation...but there it was and as hauntingly lovely as ever, right up through the shimmering chorus. Truly a spellbinding moment, and the all-time conclusive argument for getting to the venue hours early!. --We were still getting over our shock as the Mish moved through a dash of "Dance Goes On" and into the opening bars of GLJ's "Heartache" (James was still at the lobby phone when this happened and his head snapped up in surprise at that!). The all-Goth-covers soundcheck! =)
ANYway. Got inside - it was so cold in the hall that no one even took off their coats. Mike P. came on and he was wearing HIS coat! - buttoned up tight for the whole set and still barely broke a sweat, which tells you how chilly it was in there. (bah! A hex on all clubs too stingy to turn on their heat before November 1st!)
**MP: Feel Free, Rise, White Noise, Festival of Light, High On a Hill, Kaleidoscope, Declare Yourself (so glad to hear this again!), Burnout Syndrome, Spirit of '76, medley of 68 Guns and The Stand. Only time we didn't hear "Breathe" - and no technical problems this time!
**GLJ: Jay obviously feeling much better =) and the set back in hand; a fine, spirited performance (despite its still being so cold that Jay came onstage in a sweater, hat and scarf!). Broke out fast with "Flame" leading straight into "20 KhZ" (this makes a very strong start to the set, I hope they'll consider keeping it)- then Liquor Man, Why Can't I, Kiss of Life, Uptown, Sweet Sweet Rain, Heartache (! - in reaction to the Mission's soundcheck?=), Vampyre, Gorgeous and Desire. "Heartache" was prefaced by Jay's saying "We usually don't play anything my brother had anything to do with, but James and Peter and I wrote most of this one, so.." -- a lovely, spooky performance. Jay also had his comic touch back in hand. Peeling off his warm gear as the set went on, he carelessly tossed his scarf over his wineglass and then couldn't find the glass. EVB pointed it out to him and Jay promised that she should be awarded the George's Cross - "the highest award that can be given to a civilian" - for her noble deed; "I shall see that you get it," he said solemnly. "Vampyre" was then amended accordingly "Who wants to go to heaven/who would ask for more than wine..." =)(There were also some funny remarks aimed at VH1 - maybe Jay's been looking out for the GLJ segment we heard of?)
(Note here: while "Vampyre" had appeared on previous setlists (that is, of these five shows) it was always the "Heaven" version that was actually played. This was the first night that Jay actually introduced the song as "Vampyre" -the version on the solo CD- and played it as such, adding that Anne Rice wanted to use it in "her latest epic". (what, not Poppy Z. Brite? =)
**Mish: Down a notch from last night; Wayne admitted that they had been out very late and overindulged the night before (BTW the full moon was also past by now), and gave a CLASSIC apology for *his* slightly sore throat: "I guess I shouldn't swallow, eh?" LOL!!--
Anyway, bit slow getting started but excellent once they got there; great to watch them rebuild their old power and confidence. Basic set (See Friday review) plus a brilliant encore that included an acoustic "Dancing Barefoot"(!) and "Like A Child Again" (no Elvis) plus the band's first live performance of "Neverland" (wow!) before the usual crashing "1969". Funny bit: when Wayne asked for requests EVB and Judy at once yelled out "Marian!" and Wayne's take was priceless: "'Marian'??! Would have waited after the show again, but it was so cold, and I was starting to wind down anyway. Besides, it's not over; EVB is already starting to talk about how we might possibly make it to the Florida shows in November...
I sat in the car and waited while EVB and Judy said bye to Wayne. GLJ's van pulled away from the alley and headed past me. Jay waved. =)
==m/g==
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