The Mozzer, The Buzz and the Shock

Mr. Morrissey in the spotlight, Richard Burton in the back.

Uho - We are back after a short mishap with the template and glad to have not lost this little archive of shows and music in New York. Because there are great ones, still. Recently, Morrissey, last of the international playboys, held a series of triumphant shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom and easily entered my all time favorite top ten live shows, climbing as high as the top five. Highlights and a bawling 40 year old cynic writer in tears included fantastic renditions of Smiths classics like "Stop Me" and "Girlfriend in a Coma", but also powerful new songs from his two latest records like "You Have Killed Me" and "First of the Gang to Die". The man is so sophisticated in the best of senses, charming, yet distant, and, by God, sexy. Or, as my friend the bassman said, probably the only person he'd consider changing his orientation for. That good.

So much for the Mozzer, now to the buzz: We are glad to report that C. Gibbs is back from a most successfull tour with Lucinda Black Bear projects, playing sold out shows in Zurich and leaving merch and an excellent video for You Got it Blue all over Europe. Meanwhile back home,The Snow with long time C. Gibbs collaborator Pierre de Gaillande have started to take larger stages and developed into an experience somewhere between languid jazz and pop ballads - come see the less known but more impressive Hilarys of New York, with one l less than the senator, but decidely much more talent for singing. Good news also comes from Kinetic, who find their name more and more mentioned in the press, with their shows mentioned in Time Out now. We also checked out Overlord at the Delancey recently, and were impressed. Somebody should finally go and sign them and send the band on tour. They've got the songs, trust me. And on this note, one last buzz: The Palace in St. Gall, Switzerland has become the favorite stop on European tours for many a promising US band. Check out their MySpace Siteand look at the names they had playing there and what people say about this island of indie in Eastern CH. Then go and ask Jeffrey Lewis about St. Gallen after his show on November at the Crown Point Festival on the Lower East Side!

Below, you find my current list of top ten live shows ever. I excluded small and intimate shows, although they usually are my favorite and move me most - for example Television Personalitites in 1991 at Maxwells in Hoboken or Chris Bailey of the Saints at Ziegel Au Lac in Zurich ages ago. Here the more commercial ones. I'd be interested to learn of your favorite shows ever!

1. Paul Weller - London, Royal Albert Hall, 1992
2. Pet Shop Boys - New York, Hammerstein Ballroom, 2000
3. Morrissey - New York, Hammerstein Ballroom, 2007
4. Pyschedelic Furs - Outside Woodstock, Open Air, 1999
5. The Church - New York, Irving Plaza, 2006
6. The Finn Brothers - New York, Central Park Summer Stage, 2005
7. Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - New York, Irving Plaza, 2002
8. Madonna - New York, Madison Square Garden, 2005
9. The Cure - Konstanz, Rock am See, 1991
10. Lloyd Cole and the Commotions - Drahtschmiede Zürich, 1985