It was a snowy night in Baltimore this past Saturday, January 12. However, despite the weather, I ventured out to the Ottobar to see one of my favorite local bands perform. Caligula Blushed brings the sounds of The Smiths to the stage and they have quite a following. A little snow was not enough to stop these fans, including myself, from enjoying the show.
Disorder, a tribute to the sounds of Joy Division, ventured into Baltimore from New York to open the show. Caligula Blushed often teams up with excellent tribute bands from the Baltimore area. However, I was excited for tonight because it’s not everyday you get to hear Joy Division performed live. I was just arriving in the world when Ian Curtis rocked the dark wave vocals of Joy Division. Therefore, my exposure of this band would come from New Order. After the death of Ian Curtis in 1980, guitarist Bernard Sumner and bassist Peter Hook would carry on with the creation of one of my favorite bands, New Order.
Easily one of my favorite performances of all time.
The stage lights dimmed and Disorder took the stage to one of Joy Division’s first songs, “No Love Lost”. A full two minutes of guitars, white noise, and drum rhythms loudly filled the Ottobar before lead vocalist, Michael Strollo took to the mic. Almost as if going back in time, I could imagine what it would have been like to hear this song performed by Joy Division themselves in 1978. The band delivered a 15-song set from the band’s 4-year catalog.
Every song they performed was amazing and it was clear that the crowd was happy that they came early for this show. Every song concluded with loud cheering coming from the audience. Highlights of the performance included, “Dead Souls” (which was made famous by Trent Reznor’s version on The Crow soundtrack), as well as, one of my favorite Joy Division songs, Shadowplay. They also performed an electrified version of “Blue Monday” which I was able to record. You can check that out here:
Caligula Blushed, as always, delivered a stellar performance. Fans sang along to every song. They tossed roses onto the stage, and reached out for just a touch from the hand of the man they came to see. The set list included everyone’s favorite songs from The Smiths such as “Girlfriend in a Coma” and “Everyday is Like Sunday”. Although the set started off with pop favorites “Ask” and “Panic”, we walked away from the Ottobar with “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me”. A song that delivers such melancholy that is only fitting of Morrissey.
So, even with the snow Saturday night, the fans filled the Ottobar, and I am sure they didn’t leave disappointed. Together, both bands delivered an amazing show that made venturing out into the snow well worth it! If you are unfamiliar with these two bands, definitely follow them on Facebook and catch one of their shows. I never leave a Caligula Blushed show disappointed and Disorder, A Tribute to the Sounds of Joy Division have definitely gained a new fan! Check out the photos from the show! (All photos copyright and courtesy of Shantel Breen of These Subtle Sounds)
