Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Legendary lead singer of The Smiths turned solo megastar Morrissey could’ve easily sold out any venue in Chicago, but the fact he chose the Genesee Theatre for a highly heralded return is a testament to the kind of company the Waukegan venue’s being keeping since being renovated two decades ago.

Alternative and indie rock as its known today would simply not exist without the English singer/songwriter, who for 95 minutes, following a lengthy film introduction featuring clips of various retro entertainers, gave the capacity crowd a master class on the 1980s through now.

Even at 65-years-old, there was no mistaking it was indeed Morrissey the second his distinctive baritone tore into “You’re The One For Me, Fatty,” plus “Alma Matters” only picked up steam.

Backed by a razor sharp five-piece band, the headliner touched on The Smiths surprisingly early, such as the iconic “Shoplifters Of The World Unite” and “How Soon Is Now?,” both of which sound as current as anything on his latest long player, “I Am Not A Dog On A Chain,” or at the very least, the recently reissued and remastered “Beethoven Was Deaf: Live In Paris.”

In between, there were many Morrissey staples, including “Rebels Without Applause,” “First Of The Gang To Die,” “Life Is A Pigsty” and “Everyday Is Like Sunday” as the ardent appreciators looked on in amazement.

They soon joined in for “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want,” which alongside all the other lyrics of longing, intense emotion and individuality made their otherwise larger than life hero seem extremely relatable.

Come “Darling, I Hug A Pillow,” “The Loop” and “Jack The Ripper,” Morrissey’s magnetism went into overdrive, culminating in “I Will See You In Far-Off Places” to round out the main portion of the generally aggressive occasion.

The guts and grit of “Speedway” was offered as a roaring encore and ending to the entire 14-city tour, complete with a few lucky fans getting a personal touch from the enigmatic entertainer, which thankfully didn’t get out of hand as its been known to do, but rather, brought everyone that much closer together to collectively bask in his brilliance.

For additional information on Morrissey, visit MorrisseyCentral.com.

Upcoming concerts at the Genesee Theatre include Natalie Grant and Danny Gokey (Dec. 12); “Dear Evan Hansen” (Dec. 14); “Home For The Holidays” featuring Peabo Bryson (Dec. 21); “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” (Dec. 22), Folsom Prison Experience (Jan. 11); Blood, Sweat & Tears featuring Jason Scheff (Jan. 17); Linger: A Tribute To The Cranberries (Jan. 18); Dueling Pianos (Jan. 24); Little River Band (Jan. 25); “The Simon & Garfunkel Story” (Jan. 26); “The Sweet Caroline Tour” starring Jay White (Feb. 8); Uptown: A Celebration Of Motown And Soul (Feb. 14); Howard Jones and ABC (Feb. 20); Air Supply (Feb. 21); “Drumline” Live (Feb. 23); Jim Henson’s “Fraggle Rock” (Mar. 2); KC & The Sunshine Band (Mar. 7); Here Come The Mummies (Mar. 20); Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (Mar. 30); MJ Live (Apr. 4); The Brit Pack (Apr. 10); “The Addams Family” (Apr. 19); “Sesame Street” Live! (May 16) and Brit Floyd (May 30). For additional details, visit GeneseeTheatre.com.

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