Morrissey

Proclaiming "I'm sick, I'm dull, I'm plain. Hello," the Sultan of Sensitivity, Morrissey, began the first of two sold-out gigs at the 9:30 club Sunday night with "You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side." The English singer certainly had the audience on his, as evidenced by the steady stream of flowers and books thrust at him.

Morrissey ("Moz" to his legions) may not have been cracking wise about being ill, as he looked tired and distracted. He poured what energy he could muster into a smartly selected 75-minute career overview.

A competent backing quartet, led by guitarists Boz Boorer and Alain Whyte, expanded the model Moz established with Smiths partner Johnny Marr to include a hint of glam and rockabilly, and never overshadowed their leader. Early standouts such as "Hairdresser on Fire" and "November Spawned a Monster" were mixed with the somewhat more recent compositions "The Teachers Are Afraid of the Pupils" and "Now My Heart Is Full." The Smiths songbook was consulted for the post-adolescent hypersensitivity classics "Half a Person," "Is It Really So Strange?" and the still-powerful "Meat I Murder."

Morrissey seemed most concerned with simply surviving the set, and only during the final numbers, "I Can Have Both" and "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me," did the performance rise above the ordinary. An encore of "Shoplifters of the World Unite" was the evening's highlight, moving several fans to leap onstage and embrace their hero. The late-set rally proved that when he's feeling up to it, the singular Englishman is still Moz def.

--Patrick Foster