In 1994, I was a freshman at University of Delaware and Mazzy Star was one of favorite bands (Bob Dylan being, and remaining, my favorite singer overall). This was back when Hope Sandoval had famously walked offstage, ending her concerts early, and I remember a nervous sense of will she or won’t she…
It was an incredible concert, as spooky and ethereal as one could hope. And then The Jesus and Mary Chain came on, and it was incredible in a completely different way, all flashing lights and body pounding beats. And then Hope joined them onstage to sing Sometimes Always for the encore, and I had just turned 18, and the next night was Halloween, and everything was wonderful. It was just a euphoric moment frozen in time for me.
Last week I saw The Jesus and Mary Chain again, this time at the Franklin Music Hall in Philly. And unbelievably, they still look and sound incredible, 30 years later.
Opening act Frankie Rose joined them onstage to sing Sometimes Always. She’s not Hope Sandoval, but still, I had had no expectations of that song being performed and will be riding the high from the burst of nostalgia for quite some time.
If you haven’t listened to The Jesus and Mary Chain’s newest album give it a whirl. They sound great.
You can see all my videos from The Jesus and Mary Chain Psychedelic Furs concert on YouTube.
Jesus and Mary Chain Setlist
- jamcod
- April Skies
- Head On
- Happy When It Rains
- All Things Pass
- Chemical Animal
- Some Candy Talking
- Far Gone and Out
- Blues From a Gun
- Sidewalking
- In a Hole
- Sometimes Always
- Darklands
- Just Like Honey
- Reverence
I bought tickets to this concert thinking the Jesus and Mary Chain was the headliner, but I was mistaken! I was not familiar at all with the Psychedelic Furs outside of Pretty in Pink, but they also sounded great and were fascinating to watch.
Psychedelic Furs Setlist
- The Boy That Invented Rock & Roll
- So Run Down
- The Ghost in You
- All That Money Wants
- Only You and I
- Wrong Train
- Love My Way
- All of the Law
- President Gas
- Pretty in Pink
- Mr. Jones
- Pulse
- Heartbreak Beat
- Heaven
P.S.
In October of 1994 I also got to see Weezer at UD, fresh off the release of their blue album. They were so new very few people showed up to see them, and so I got to experience who would become this huge cultural touchpoint in a very intimate way. I vividly remember when they played Undone, whose radio play had only recently been gaining traction, and everybody there– like all 50 of us– rushed the stage. Then we left the arena, all loud and giddy, against the crowd of people arriving to see Live, who was the headliner.
Years later, I took my son there to see Bob Dylan. When did the Bob Carpenter Center stop hosting concerts?
