Last Wednesday night marked evening one of Garbage’s two consecutive sold out shows at DC’s premier venue, the 9:30 Club.
Touring to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the band’s self titled release, Garbage set out on their “20 Years Queer” tour in early in October, making DC their last two US dates before traveling to Northern Europe for November dates.
While Garbage may have been performing 20 year old material, it was apparent that that their songs, or rather their live performance, has more than withstood all the tests of time. The band’s heavy, thick presence blended with a stunning mix of their signature grunge-rock sound and perfectly orchestrated electronics. Shirley Manson’s performance in particular was impeccable and she certainly owned the stage for the evening.
Her vocals were spot on, and most of allno matter how deep the levels of sonic tones get, no matter how many swirling noises the band delivers on stage (and there’s a lot), Manson’s commanding style can be found right in the center of it all as one of the best front-women in alternative rock history.
The set list, as Manson announced early in the night, only consisted of songs recorded between 1995-1996. Songs performed included “Subhuman,” “Queer,” “Girl Don’t Come,” “Milk,” “Only Happy When It Rains,” “Stupid Girl,” “Why Do You Love Me,” and “Bad Boyfriend.”
