The development of the band’s original guitarist, Dave Navarro, rejoining the band seemed to be on everybody’s mind. Just last month, the group released its first single in decades, “Imminent Redemption.”
At 7 p.m., DJ Sista Whitenoise hit the stage, filling in for Crawlers (who had to cancel last minute), with a short set that included tracks from artists such as Les Rita Mitsouko and Siouxsie and the Banshees. The DJ’s careful choices of garage, noise and new wave tracks worked as a great segue for a night of alternative music.
At 8 p.m., Love and Rockets started their show with the opening guitar riffs of “The Light.” Alternative music pioneer Daniel Ash wore his signature shades, dressed in an all-white, retro-futuristic outfit, with band members David J. and Kevin Haskins matching. The trio demanded the crowd’s attention from the start with their stage presence and English charm. The former Bauhaus members, recently reunited as the three-piece Love and Rockets, was a pivotal force for alternative music in the 1980s and '90s. The group’s influence can be easily detected in contemporary alternative staples such as Franz Ferdinand, Muse and The Dandy Warhols. After finishing their first song, the band played “Kundalini Express,” before going into a standout performance of “No Big Deal.” After finishing the first part of their set and effectively capturing the crowd’s attention, Love and Rockets transitioned into the middle section of the night, which included playing fan favorites such as “Haunted When the Minutes Drag,” one of the band’s most popular songs, and the classic “No New Tale to Tell,” which had some in the crowd screaming and others reminiscing. Love and Rockets played another song before going into the 1989 Billboard Hot 100 hit, “So Alive.” The band wrapped up after an hour, ending with something that felt like a psychedelic rockabilly jam. Ash, J. and Haskins took their bows and exited the stage. The night’s second headliner was next.
At 9:32, all lights at the Toyota Music Factory dropped except for several blue stage lights, prompting the entire crowd to rise for the return of Jane's Addiction. Bassist Eric Avery, drummer Stephen Perkins, singer Perry Farrell and original guitarist Dave Navarro took the stage through a mist of blue smoke in front of a simple, red neon “Jane's Addiction” logo, centered behind the highly stylized band.
Navarro looked healthy, dressed in all black, donning his eternal black eye makeup and red-feathered bluesman hat. Farrell wore his signature vest and held a bottle of red wine, which he swung back and forth between verses of the opening song, “Kettle Whistle.”
Navarro’s white Paul Reed Smith stood out like a lightning bolt against the band’s dark aesthetic, its tone so formidable it sounded like it was powering a rocket ship. The crowd and the stage lights moved into overdrive as Jane’s carried into “Whores,” before Farrell paid homage to their time spent in Deep Ellum early in the band’s career, including shows at the long-defunct Theater Gallery and Arcadia.
Next came “Pig’s in Zen” from the band’s 1988 release, Nothing’s Shocking. Navarro ripped a crazy, impressive guitar solo while Avery and Perkins pounded the rhythm section with all their might. Farrell then said, “What a crazy time to live in America right now, right?” Several audience members cheered while others paused waiting for him to finish the thought.
Jane’s then delivered a flawless performance of “Ain’t No Right” from the band’s classic record, Ritual de lo Habitual. This song saw Navarro seriously go to work on his guitar, so smooth and silky the band sounded as if they had three guitarists. The chemistry between the four members at this point was undeniable as they ripped through several improvisational parts to start the song “Ted, Just Admit It …” This off-the-cuff performance was a testament to the amount of time the four original members have clocked playing together and was easy evidence of why contemporaries and friends such as Dave Grohl and the late Taylor Hawkins hold or held the band in such high esteem.
The classic “Summertime Rolls” came next, proving that Farrell can still hit all the high notes exceptionally well. As Jane’s finished the last notes, the crowd cheered Farrell on as he held a single note and a fist in the air, taking the audience's applause with pleasure, while Avery’s iconic bassline carried “Summertime Rolls” through its last note.
Farrell then began telling stories of the band’s days in Dallas.
Love and Rockets was formed by Daniel Ash, David J. and Kevin Haskins after Bauhaus broke up.
Andrew Sherman
“Does it bring back memories?” Farrell said after the song's conclusion. “Hopefully they are good memories. We all learn something from our memories.”
Avery started the opening bass riffs of “Mountain Song,” which seemed to get the biggest crowd response of the night — especially when longtime drummer Perkins drew out the end in another improvisational jam.
“Three Days,” from Ritual de lo Habitual, followed, which again had Navarro and Avery locked in tight while the rest of the band thoroughly enjoyed themselves with Farrell on bongo drums. Navarro once again ripped another sonic-defying guitar solo for this number, wrestling his guitar and pedals like Jacob on the bank of the Jabbok River.
After this serious jam and epic ending, Jane’s finally played their new song, “Imminent Redemption,” to a crowd of fans who clearly needed to download the new song and keep up with the times. “Then She Did,” was next, in which Jane’s played again flawlessly, starting with a monologue from Farrell about the death of loved ones. Next came “Ocean Size,” which had Navarro playing guitar solos so fast the band should require a stagehand to douse Navarro’s fingers with an extinguisher when they start smoking.
After that, Farrell asked the crowd if they understood Spanish. The classic opening of Ritual de lo Habitual played over the speakers as the band went into “Stop.” This had the entire crowd singing along with Farrell by the song’s end just a few minutes later. Jane’s Addiction decided to close with the classic, “Been Caught Stealing,” which again had Navarro in his element as possibly the world’s fastest guitarist on the planet, and the crowd again sang every word with Farrell.
“It’s been a pleasure, Dallas,” Farrell said in closing. “Wishing you all the love in the world, and we hope to see you again in the future.”
The band took a short break and then encored with “Chip Away,” which had Navarro, Perkins and Avery on several drums that had been brought onstage, while Farrell sang his final notes of the night. As the band walked off stage and the venue lights rose, there was an aura of gratitude in the air as each member of Jane’s took their bows and gave thanks to the crowd. Through all the different incarnations of Jane’s Addiction that have come and gone over the past few decades, simply put, there’s just nothing like the original.
One could tell from this night’s performance that the band members felt the same way, too. In Irving, four decades after starting, Jane’s Addiction proved that each of them have earned their imminent redemption. It is both Farrell’s hope and wish that the world at large may also do the same.
