When Jane’s Addiction last played at the John Anson Ford Theater, I was living on the East Coast and about a decade too young.  In the years since, I have grown to love this band and have amassed quite a collection of live recordings- including five from their seven night JAFT stand in 1989.  These shows are some of my favorites to listen to, so seeing them at this venue was very special to me.

The music of two bands fueled my desire to move to Los Angeles- The Doors and Jane’s Addiction.  When Perry quoted Jim Morrison last night… “The West is the best”, he was preaching to the choir!  The band played a tight set with a few new songs mixed in with the old.  The new tacks were well received, especially Irresistible Force.  Factor in the fantastic sound quality, light & laser show, smoke, confetti and dancing wood nymphs and it did seem like we were at the “center of the universe” as Perry phrased in between songs.   It would have been nicer if the chairs weren’t there, but I suppose ripping them up for two nights would have been too much to ask.

Prior to the show, Stephen Perkins and the Street Drum Corps had a drum circle at the venue entrance.  It was a nice nod to the 1989 shows, where I was told he did something similar.

Jane’s Addiction’s new album, The Great Escape Artist, comes out on October 18, 2011.

Setlist:

Whores
Just Because
Ain’t No Right
Ted, Just Admit It…
Been Caught Stealing
End to the Lies
Ocean Size
Three Days
Irresistible Force
Then She Did
Mountain Song
Stop!

Encore:                                                                                                                                                                                 Jane Says

Side note:  There is a photo at end of this gallery of Corey Feldman, whom I spotted in the crowd.

More photos HERE