After 4 concerts, he's still awesome

Where to begin?! Marilyn Manson has been a personal favorite of mine since my first taste of his music in 1995. An acquired taste, he's proven to me to be a real musical genius. Most critics can't seem to go beyond the face paint, dresses, and unpopular opinions of the band. On a deeper level, Marilyn seems to be there for the fans, feeding from their energy and emotions, stirring the soul of everyone beyond the point of simple entertainment, into pure headbangers heaven.

I've been to 4 shows since 1995, and I've enjoyed them more and more. The performance in Orlando on November 9,2000, was probably the best in my memory.

I'd never been to the Hard Rock Live before and didn't quite know what to expect; the place was packed! The crowd, as always, was a mix; old, young, male, female, black, white, green, pierced & tattooed, blue collar, suits, and... well you get the picture. The opener for this tour was Union UnderGround. With little previous exposure, I was pleasantly surprised when they started, really sounding practiced and professional, as well as being good showmen. Not bad.

Marilyn Manson, as usual, took 45 minutes between sets to begin. By the time the lights dimmed, you could feel the anticipation in the crowd, growing by the minute, threatening to burst, until he finally came out on stage, accompanied by an adoring roar from the crowd. For the next hour and 20 minutes, there was a lot of really loud Marilyn Manson music, greeted by an adoring crowd. While there were a few newer songs I was unfamiliar with, he played a lot of older favorites that everyone loves.

Of course, being a complete entertainer, there were frequent set changes, with Marilyn displaying his toys: a podium, his Pope outfit, and of course, the stilts. A large screen completed the set, along with a creative light show. Suddenly he was gone, exiting as quickly as he came on slowly.

While disappointingly short, it was nevertheless a concert experience not to be forgotten. I believe I saw nothing but smiles as large as my own, when walking out the door. The price hurt, $37.50 after tax and fees, but it was a sacrifice I was easily willing to make. Of course, in my opinion, it was money well spent.