Madison’s very own Garbage tore up the Sylvee Friday, October 3, sharing anecdotes of the band’s origin in Wisconsin between the most popular examples of their signature techno-rock sound.
Their opener, Starcrawler, animated the audience with their own explosive act, walking in the crowd while shredding on glittery pink guitars.
Starcrawler electrified the crowd with their gritty vocals and rockstar swagger. This was a show where it felt justified to stand as close to the stage as possible and blow out your eardrums. Their set of 10 songs left the audience wanting more, and nobody was left guessing why a group like Garbage chose to tour with this band.
Garbage’s set opened with “There’s No Future in Optimism,” off their new album, “Let All That We Imagine Be the Light.” The tartan-clad frontwoman Shirley Manson had the whole venue singing with her from the opening line to the last chorus of “Only Happy When It Rains.”
The flashing lights, fog machines and intense volume of the speakers during each song immersed the audience, creating a space for the fans to let loose and respond to the band’s energy with their own. Everyone there was performing together, singing every word like the whole sold-out venue was part of the band.
After Butch Vig and Steve Marker graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, they started Smart Studios on the east side of Madison and produced albums for rock legends Nirvana, the Smashing Pumpkins, U2, Depeche Mode and later their own band, Garbage. The other members include Duke Erikson who was previously in a band called “Spooner,” and Shirley Manson, who moved from Scotland to front Garbage. The band agreed they all had great chemistry and recorded their debut eponymous album in 1995.
Manson took time between many of the songs to share stories from the band’s formation in Madison and made political and economic commentaries on the modern rock scene. She noted that Garbage is likely done touring across North America, but encouraged fans to support smaller artists so that they might be able to reach audiences and have the international touring experience Garbage had for the last 30 years.
After the first song, Manson paused to share with the crowd how excited Vig and Maker were to be back playing their hometown, and even though she isn’t from Wisconsin, she said of Madison with a smile on her face, “I know it's weird for someone with a Scottish accent to say we’re home, but you know what I mean.”
