“I’m a Jew who loves bacon,” a chatty Perry Farrell announced with a shrug late Wednesday night in New York. The admission came moments after his oldest band, Jane’s Addiction, played a biting version of “Pig’s In Zen,” ending the latest run-through of the 1988 metal-pop masterpiece, Nothing’s Shocking.
The Los Angeles group has been celebrating the 25th anniversary of its debut album for two years now, performing it in a handful of cities, indulging the fans as much as themselves. This sort of event, structured around an expected setlist, has long been a safe bet for musicians, especially those with followings that stretch back decades. In the case of Nothing’s Shocking, the concept makes good sense—and for Jane’s, good money (tickets ran $125; shirts $50).
Long ingrained in “alternative rock” lore, Nothing’s Shocking practically stands as an unofficial hits collection, and Jane’s kept faithful to the classic for a sold-out, middle-aged crowd at Brooklyn Bowl. Farrell, 56, sipped beer from a plastic cup and slithered around the stage. His trademark high wail oozed out over Chris Chaney’s creeping bassline on the opener, “Up the Beach.” Familiar postures soon revealed themselves in the dark: drummer Stephen Perkins thrusted and pounded a giant DW kit; guitarist Dave Navarro flexed and swayed and shredded.
Later, Farrell seemed downright giddy before shrieking the first lines of “Had a Dad,” as he repeated the name of a historically Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn. “Bensonhurst,” he chanted in three punchy syllables. “That’s where my dad was from.” The power and weight of the set finally pried some stray fans from a TV showing the Stanley Cup playoffs. Those same people dominated the acoustic singalong “Jane Says,” when Navarro took a knee and Perkins switched to a steel drum at center-stage. Has the band reached the point where it has perfected these songs? “If it isn’t fun, then we’re not close to perfect,” Perkins told Glide after the show. “And it’s just heaven up there.”
After running through the 11 tracks, they thundered through a few more, including the hard-jangle hit “Been Caught Stealing,” from 1990, and the 2003 comeback chart-topper, “Just Because.” Then came the finale, an uncomfortable moment as crew members worked to hook and suspend two dancers from the ceiling. Suddenly, the women were hanging high above the stage, wearing lingerie and broken gazes, strapped into a legacy stunt better suited for the past. As Jane’s played “Stop,” the women began to swing. One of them, Farrell’s wife, smiled from the sky. Nobody appeared even halfway shocked.
Photos by Vikas Nambiar
One Response
Actually, Farrells wife WASN’T suspending nor has she ever. Cool story though.