Garbage, Kristin Kontrol: Strange Little Birds tour 07-08-2016

Garbage, Kristin Kontrol
July 8th, 2016
Sumtur Amphitheater
Papillion, Nebraska
Strange Little Birds Tour

Every now and then a band comes into our lives that continues to inspire and strengthen us through their music no matter how many decades have passed. To me, Garbage is that band. I was first introduced to the band with their 1995 self-titled debut. My first live experience with the band happened in 1996 when Garbage toured with Smashing Pumpkins on the Infinite Sadness tour. Over the next twenty years something always prevented me from seeing the band in concert, but that didn’t stop me from buying every album, single, and digital release I could get my hands on. There’s something about Garbage’s music that connects with me on a deeply emotional level.
Fifteen years later I’d finally get the chance to see the band again when they headlined Omaha’s MAHA Music Festival when touring in support of their 2012 release Not Your Kind Of People. 4 years later and the band would return to Omaha after the release of their sixth studio album, Strange Little Birds.
Ironically enough, Kristin Kontrol would be opening for Garbage on the Strange Little Birds Tour. Why is that ironic? The last time I’d seen Kristin Kontrol was also at MAHA Music Festival when she was with Dum Dum Girls.
Kristin’s music, while similar to Dum Dum Girls’ 80’s style rock, also includes elements of the electronic genre. Backed by a full band, her 7 song set was made up of tracks from her self-released X-Communicate debut.
Her set impressed me enough that my first stop after she left the stage was the merch table to buy her album. After listening to her debut, what truly impressed me about her set was that she had a full band touring with her. Kristin’s live music could have easily be re-created by pre-recorded tracks, samples, and/or a keyboard. Instead, she chose to tour with a full band and bring the full spectrum of her music to the crowd. While the majority of fans were unfamiliar with her music, as I stood in line at the merch tent, it was apparent that she’d made many new friends and fans at tonight’s concert.
As Kristin Kontrol’s gear was taken off the stage, and Garbage’s was set up, I had the chance to catch up with a few friends who’d also come to tonight’s show. The biggest question on our minds: What would Garbage be playing tonight? I knew the band had been switching up their set list every other show, but which set would we get tonight? It wouldn’t be long before we found out.
Opening with Automatic Systematic Habit meant we’d be getting the longer 21 song set and for nearly two solid hours the veteran rockers thrashed into the crowd. Even with the absence of drummer Butch Vig, seeing Shirley Manson’s interactions with guitarists Duke Erikson and Steve Marker was a highlight of the show for me. To see these them, still friends after twenty-plus years, continuing to make music and completely enjoying their time on stage together is inspirational. It’s almost unheard of that a band currently touring has been together going into their third decade with all their original members. While longtime touring bassist Eric Avery, also a member of Jane’s Addiction, hung out at the back of the stage, Manson often joined him back in the shadows behind the band’s drum kit.
While Manson spent most of the band’s set walking determined circles around the stage, she addressed the crowd on more than one occasion, namely to give us a back story about a track they were about to play. The most memorable for me was the story behind Even Though Our Love Is Doomed. The track almost didn’t make the cut for the band’s Strange Little Birds release. Vig had written the track but was worried it may not fit into the overall tone of the album. Thankfully though the band disagreed. It may also be one of the most personal songs Manson has ever written. Manson has never shied away from the meanings behind her lyrics. Even Though Our Love Is Doomed is no exception. The track was the darkest, most visceral song of the band’s set. Manson herself even paused her pacing to remain behind her mic stand, fingers laced together, leaning as far forward as she could to accentuate the solitude and urgency of her lyrics.
Playing again in Omaha was also a homecoming of sorts for guitarist Steve Marker, who has family in town. The band even took the time to sing Happy Birthday to one of Marker’s Aunt’s.
Having played most of these songs live hundreds and hundreds of times, tracks off of the band’s debut and sophomore releases were given extended introductions or tweaked just enough to be this side of a full remix. The band’s 21 song set was more of a fan-favorite set than a greatest-hits set. While at least one track was played off of each of the band’s 6 studio albums, the focus was more on making their fan’s as a whole happy, as every live concert should be.

Garbage set list:
Automatic Systematic Habit
I Think I’m Paranoid
Stupid Girl
Special
Blood for Poppies
The Trick Is to Keep Breathing
Empty
My Lover’s Box
Sex Is Not the Enemy
A Stroke of Luck
Even Though Our Love Is Doomed
Control
Battle in Me
Bleed Like Me
Push It
Vow
Only Happy When It Rains
Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)

Encore:
#1 Crush
Supervixen
Why Do You Love Me

Kristin Kontrol set list: