by Tom Jackson
Daily Cougar StaffGarbage lit a fuse and blew its audience up at Numbers on Wednesday night. Before a sellout crowd of 900, the dynamic band played its own brand of supercharged pop-punk.
Scottish lead vocalist Shirley Manson had an intense and magnetic stage presence. She was every bit the vixen. Manson was alluring, charming yet taunting when she wanted to be. She kept telling people to call her a bitch. Then she asked the `boys' in the audience who were moshing to watch out for the `girls' and make sure they didn't get hurt.
Garbage's sound was completely up to par with the album, if not better. The instrumentalists gave the audience a treat with their tight, crisp and energetic playing. Manson's vocals were also excellent. Her voice was loud and clear, and most of the lyrics were easy to understand.
The band's musical style is reminiscent of '80s new-wave, punk groups.
Manson's voice sounds like a cross between Deborah Harry and Chrissie Hynde. Like those two legends, she can come off as tough or seductive. With her little-girl looks and playful stage moves, Manson seemed like the girl next door who made good and learned to apply makeup from the Avon lady from hell.
Credit must be given to the group for not playing the usual band tricks. "The Queerest of the Queer," Garbage's biggest hit, was the first song performed. Rather than teasing the audience and making them wait, they got it out of the way so the audience could focus on the rest of their music. Garbage's current single, "I'm Only Happy When it Rains," was also a crowd pleaser.
If the audience reaction is a reliable indicator, Garbage will be around for a long time. The crowd went wild throughout the entire hour-long set. Although I had thought some of the audience might not stick around after "The Queerest of the Queer," it became obvious that people were there for a band, not a song.
There was not a bad song performed in the entire set. The more up-tempo tunes were all catchy and danceable while the occasional slow songs were haunting.
At one point, my friend and I were thrown into the mosh pit. This was actually fun at first. In the original punk spirit, people were playfully slamming into each other and taking care to make sure no one got hurt or fell down.
Unfortunately, the scene later became violent because of the efforts of the usual morons. However, the crowd was supportive and careful with those who chose to "ride the crowd." These persons were physically passed over the crowd.
At the end of Garbage's set, the audience clamored loudly for more. The band responded with a short set that whipped the crowd into a frenzy. Manson announced that the final song of the first encore would be the group's last. Though the audience clapped and screamed for a good ten minutes, Garbage was gone. A smart band. Leave 'em wanting more.