Kot in the Act: 2 Shows You Can’t Miss

By Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune

May 11–1. Porcupine Tree: Progressive rock is alive and well as Steven Wilson leads his quartet through extended compositions, including the 17-minute opus “Anesthetize,” on the U.K. band’s latest, “Fear of a Blank Planet” (Atlantic). The socially conscious themes — about how TV, drugs and the Internet are sapping the souls of youth — aren’t exactly groundbreaking, but as usual the music is stellar in its serpentine mood-shifting. Thursday at Park West, 322 W. Armitage Ave., $25; 312-559-1212.

2. Morrissey: On last year’s “Ringleader of the Tormentors” (Sanctuary), Morrissey proclaims, “There is no such thing as a normal life.” But he sounds strangely content, as he discovers sexual intimacy and a modicum of happiness. For the Dean of the Estranged, that may be the strangest prospect of all. As usual, his live performances work the fine line between drama and melodrama. Tuesday at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress Pkwy., $27.50, $47.50, $65; 312-922-2110.

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Copyright (c) 2007, Chicago Tribune

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