Jane's Addiction One For The Books at The Metro 9-25-11

Energy and emotions ran high last night, and in a strange deja vu, Jane's Addiction at The Metro is once again one for the books. It was pure, visceral pleasure to see the boys back together again (with the addition of Chris Chaney on bass) playing the best of their old favorites and amazing new material. The thirteen song set ended all too soon, and left fans hungry for more. But it was quality over quantity. And Jane's Addiction's still got it.    

They opened strong with Whores and gave the crowd a little tease with dancers.   Then they went into a tight Just Because, Ain't No Right, and Then She Did.   The crowd was right there with them on Stealing, Lies, and Ocean. Then the haunting 3 Days took things up a level.   

So many times new material takes a while to seep into the collective unconscious, and fans endure it while waiting for more well loved favorites they have a history with. That is just not the case with Irresistible Force, which is quickly living up to it's name. The energy stayed up and the crowd loved it. Idiots, had the audience screaming and dancing. Mountain was poignant and amazing. Stop had the whole floor of Metro teeming, writhing and crushing against the stage. Jane Says rounded out the strong set and capped off an entirely memorable show.    

There's such a different vibe when a well loved band plays an intimate venue versus an arena show, and Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro in particular, made the most of the space and interacted liberally with the audience. Many male and female admirers took the opportunity to get hands on with the boys in the band. It's impressive to me that Perry's over 50 and can still pull off that frenetic energy and crackling sexuality he had over 20 years ago in the 80's. Of course, the gorgeous, soft-core bondage dancers didn't hurt any either, for stirring up the crowd.   

Jane's Addiction still exudes that androgynous, sensual alt rock miasma that makes the darkest lyrics sexy, and has captivated audiences for decades. This show truly came across as a thank you to the fans. Amid the rock star posturing and showmanship, a good dose of genuine gratitude, and affection for the fans came through. As Perry shared red wine and chocolates with fans and Dave crouched at the edge of the stage and serenaded individuals in the front row, the audience/ band rapport was elevated from one night stand to long term romance. And with a 20+ year history, even an off again on again history, maybe that's just what it is.

Local Chicago band, Apteka, and Boys from Denver opened. Boys claimed their hard won spot as openers by nailing a national OurStage.com unsigned bands competition.