Talking Garbage

SATURDAY NIGHT'S ROLLICKING double whammy of Garbage and Lit served up a night to remember at Centennial Hall. The capacity crowd showed its appreciation for two huge acts coming to a little place like the Old Pueblo.

The lights dimmed on the stage as the eager crowd awaited the arrival of the ultra-hip Lit, who let the anticipation build up to an incredible climax when A. Jay, the lead singer, burst onto the stage with spectacular charisma. With intensity that could be seen from the middle rows, the band performed live versions of "Zip Lock" and "My Own Worst Enemy" that sounded better than the studio-recorded CD. Tightly choreographed, the band accompanied their lively mix of punk and hard rock with familiar alternative sounds. All this in only 30 minutes.

After the intermission, the entire stage darkened, and Garbage stunningly lit up the stage with lead vocalist Shirley Manson taking center. The band started the night with a great take on "I think I'm Paranoid" that blended their techno sounds and Manson's spine-tingling voice with jaw-dropping lighting in perfect sync with every move they made. Some of the songs fell flat; "You look so fine" played out much longer than necessary and some of the older songs didn't connect with the crowd. Still, all was forgiven when the group put all their energy into a revved-up version of "Push It" that had everyone jumping and screaming their hearts out. "When I grow up" served as the perfect fiery finale of epic proportions. This truly was anything but garbage.

MTV successfully invaded the UA campus, and hopefully they'll be back soon. As Shirley Manson put it, "I cannot believe this is our first trip to Tucson. You damn well know how to show your appreciation."

Junior critic Michael Peel is a freshman at Rincon High School.