The Cribs Are Marr-velous In Manhattan

The Cribs
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY
November 12, 2009

I had never seen Johnny Marr perform live before seeing him play with The Cribs at their Bowery Ballroom show on November 12th. Marr, the legendary guitarist from 1980s Mancunian giants The Smiths, showed just how brilliant an addition he has become to The Cribs. Adding his sonic artistry to the unbridled cacophony created by the three Jarman brothers (vocalist/guitarist Ryan, bassist/vocalist Gary, and drummer Ross), Marr has made what was already a good band into an exceptional one. It was a privilege and a pleasure to get to watch Marr on the job.

Marr became a permanent member of the band last year and was on board for the recording of the band’s latest album, Ignore The Ignorant. Marr shone brightly on tracks from the album like “We Share The Same Skies” and “Cheat On Me” as well as older Cribs’ tunes like “Men’s Needs.” Getting Marr to join the band was a stroke of genius on the part of the Jarmans. In addition to adding greatly to the band’s sound, Marr also is unquestionably a drawing card for the band when they’re on the road. It seemed like many in the crowd at the Bowery Ballroom show were there to see Marr specifically.

The Cribs played a 19-song, 85-minute set with no encore. They played a second show at the Bowery Ballroom the following night. They were excellent and are definitely a band to keep your eyes and ears on.

Opening the evening’s proceedings were the Detroit-based quartet The Von Bondies. Their 30-minute set was quite well-received by the crowd. They’re a really good band, and they seemed to enjoy interacting with crowd. Lead vocalist/lead guitarist Jason Stollsteimer had a dialogue going with an audience member near the front of the stage throughout the band’s set. In addition to Stollsteimer, the band includes Christy Hunt on rhythm guitar, Leann Banks on bass, and Don Blum on drums. The Von Bondies’ rendition of the biggest hit, “C’mon C’mon” (which serves as the theme song for the FX drama Rescue Me), received the biggest response from the crowd. I usually can’t wait for the opening band to get off the stage at most shows that I attend. That wasn’t the case with The Von Bondies. Their 30 minutes on stage left me wanting more.

Review by John Curley