Calling all Smiths fans! Morrissey and Marr may never reunite, but worry not - Johnny Marr is here to save the day. Playing two co-headlining shows alongside fellow Manchester icon James at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, Johnny Marr once again reminded us that true talent and class never go out of style.

On Night 1 of Johnny Marr and James’ co-headlining tour at the Orpheum, James took the stage first (the following night, the acts would switch). This arrangement made things all the more extraordinary, considering that James previously opened for The Smiths during their Meat Is Murder tour back in 1985. With more than 40 years of experience under their belts, James - who has always been known as a great live band - opened their 70-minute set with plenty of energy right at the top. Singer Tim Booth began the night wrapped in various coats, scarves, and a hat and slowly removed each piece throughout the show; with every reach into the crowd, they became more enraptured by him. The band was only two songs into the set - playing the more recent pandemic creation “All The Colours of You” - before Andy Diagram entered the theater's balcony, playing his trumpet around fans as colorful lights swirled around the band onstage.

Highlights of the set included the classic “Come Home” and the iconic singalong “Laid.” For a band that gained much traction and popularity in the U.S. after being played on college radio, it was delightful to see so many Gen Xers in the crowd bringing their kids to the show. The band sounded better than ever, and every voice in the theater echoed, “Come home, come home, come home,” as the synth melodies played on. The cheers and voices singing along during “Laid” were so loud that they remained crystal clear in the parking lot, even surrounded by the downtown Los Angeles atmosphere. Die-hard fans will be pleased to know Booth sang the original lyrics, “She only comes when he’s on top,” instead of the more family-friendly radio version we’ve all been plagued with since the 90s.

James’ electrifying set was the perfect companion and amuse bouche to Johnny Marr’s headline performance. The Smiths legend - who made headlines again recently for shutting down both Morrissey and any Smiths reunion rumors - proves that he doesn't need (and perhaps never needed) his 40-year-old band to shine. Marr opened his set with “Sensory Street,” a bombastic track from his 2022 album Fever Dreams Pt.1-4 that has U2 levels of production and Marr’s ever-hypnotic guitarwork. His command of the room and crowd was felt immediately; Marr couldn’t seem uncool even if he tried. Just as everyone was getting settled in early in the set, Marr and his band immediately jumped into the Smiths’ classic “Panic.” This might be controversial, but Marr makes the song sound even better now than it did when it first came out. His vocal delivery and centering of the melodic guitar brings new life.

For the following hour and a half, Marr managed to satisfy his and diehard Smiths fans by mixing in some of his more modern classics with iconic Smiths tracks we all know and love. Of his work, the rock singalong “Generate! Generate!”, atmospheric “Walk Into The Sea,” and the endlessly catchy “Easy Money” were definite highlights. Marr’s ability to craft a chorus and complimentary guitar hook is wildly underrated, and this selection of songs proves that. I dare anyone not to sing along with “Generate” or “Easy Money,” even if hearing them for the first time; they’re songs so good that even the guitar riffs get stuck in your head. If Marr’s solo work wasn’t enough for everyone, he pulled out the big guns with megahits “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want,” “This Charming Man,” and perhaps the Smiths song where he shines the best “How Soon Is Now?” The dizzying guitar effect, swirling lights, and haunting vocals of “Soon” made it the best night performance; Marr’s evocative song presentation brings a flood of memories and emotions from every previous listen.

In a move that only Johnny Marr could successfully pull off, his encore included the 1-2 punch of Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger” followed by “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.” The crowd practically floated out of the venue, buzzing with what we’d all just witnessed: a night of Manchester legends playing iconic songs and sounding better than ever. Marr and James prove that talent supersedes nostalgia, as neither chooses to rest on the laurels before them; both acts are still immensely extraordinary, making brilliant music and still putting on unmissable shows.

JAMES

JOHNNY MARR