As a buddy of mine so eloquently put it, “Jane’s Addiction is going to become the Rolling Stones of the punk world. They’ll tour every five years, charge whatever the hell they want, and people will still come to see them.”
True, $60 is a wee bit steep to see a show these days, but at least Perry Farrell and co. give you a SHOW for your money. The stage at the First Union Spectrum last Wednesday was decked out in ornate crepe paper hangings and maypoles, and moody Christmas lights hung out across the crowd. Farrell entered in a flowing white robe to the strains of “Kettle Whistle,” and it wasn’t too long before exotic dancers emerged from beneath the lengthy fabric. Of course… it’s Jane’s Addiction. There’s got to be naked women! The dancers actually became an intricate part of the performance, teetering on a seesaw to the sexy psychedelic tones of “Summertime Rolls” and grooving on risers in the crowd to the cutesy “Classic Girl.”
Strippers aside, the set was a deftly delivered best-of rundown from the band that spawned the alternative revolution before Nirvana kicked it into overdrive. The dense prog-rock of “Three Days” was rousing, as guitar deity Dave Navarro cut loose with jaw-dropping solos and drummer Stephen Perkins smashed his sticks into splinters. The band retreated to a discrete second stage out in the crowd later in the night for a short acoustic set featuring the seminal favorite “Jane Says.”
The night closed with the tribal war cry of “Trip Away,” where all band members sans Perry banged out intense rhythms on various drums and bongos. Sure, it probably wasn’t as cool as it was 10 years ago, but for somebody who couldn’t see Jane’s in their prime, it was a hell of a treat.
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