Live Review: Johnny Marr with James at the Eastern in Atlanta, 10/3/24

Since the demise of the Smiths in 1988, guitarist Johnny Marr has entered the second chapter of his musical career, playing on albums and touring with such greats as Talking Heads, Electronic, The The, Pretenders, the Cribs, Modest Mouse, and more. Respected in many circles as a musical innovator and powerful influence on such groups as Oasis and the Stone Roses, Marr is always searching for a new sound whilst possessing a style all his own.

The 60-year-old Mancunian released Boomslang with his Healers in 2003 (including drummer Zak Starkey), then took a decade off from solo work to continue as a journeyman for that eclectic group of bands mentioned earlier, and then some. His true solo record, The Messenger, burst out of the gate to commercial and critical success.

Out on the road promoting Spirit Power: The Best of Johnny Marr, the band is joined by openers and fellow Mancunians James, making this a huge payoff for fans. Marr and James singer Tim Booth are old friends, with both bands coming into prominence around the same period in the early 80s. Marr kicked off the show with “Armatopia,” a climate change warning for the world, “So let’s dance to the sound of our time running out / And watch the smoke on the breeze of rising seas.” The night was replete with Marr’s solo work, along with a half-dozen superb renditions of Smiths’ songs, and two gigantic hits from his time in Electronic with Bernard Sumner (New Order), with a little help from Pet Shop Boys and Kraftwerk.

As he tore through a four-decade catalog of magic, fans may have thought, “Morrissey who?” Marr’s voice is better than anyone knew in the 80s, and seems to improve with each new album. Before launching into the Smiths classic “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out,” Marr told fans, “I’d like to dedicate this song to all you guys under this roof and nobody fuckin’ else!” That tune encapsulated Marr’s entire career. It was real and it was spectacular. His solo “Generate! Generate!” and the new “Somewhere” underscores his writing chops. His most successful single to date, “Easy Money,” earned an ovation rivaling his Smiths covers.

Openers James gave a blockbuster performance, still sounding as fresh as they were in the early 90s. Their latest release Yummy proves their staying power in a fiercely competitive field of new bands, genres, and younger fans. During “Life’s a Fucking Miracle,” Booth sings, “She, he, they, we,” clearly celebrating life and love as inclusively as possible. During this song, Booth left the stage and held the hands of two different fans. The eight-piece band included two drummers and a trumpet player, adding richness to an already solid catalog. Booth danced like a man possessed, who definitely hold’s a master’s degree in the Michael Stipe/Thom Yorke School of Dance. Unbridled joy and unlimited energy.

Highlights included “Ring the Bells,” from the band’s breakout fourth album, 1992’s Seven. Booth’s voice remains as rich and powerful as it was in the beginning. Their signature song and the closer was “Laid,” in which a chorus of 2,200 fans sang along. The set was just too short.

Catch the North American tour through the next two weeks. For more info on music and news, visit the bands’ sites at JOHNNY MARR and JAMES.