I felt very lucky to attend this sold-out show at the Roseland Theater in Portland, Oregon. Sold out shows are always amazing because the energy is usually off the charts with the maximum amount of people, and this night was no exception. I found my spot in the back of the venue and quickly befriended other excited concert-goers ready for a great show.

The crowd was mostly people that seemed to be in their 30’s and 40’s, clearly here to see Garbage play music that would transport them to a simpler time or to a time when their teenage angst was strong. There were some fashionably dressed people there that turned heads for either a ‘wow’ factor or an ‘oh my god, are they really wearing that’ factor. Either way, it proved early on to be a night to remember.

There was only one supporting act and that was California based electronic/r&b duo, Rituals of Mine. They are formally known as Sister Crayon and previously toured with the Deftones. Rituals of Mine is made up of Dani Fernandez, who plays the music using MPC and SPD-SX, and the powerful Terra Lopez singing. Their stage set up was simple with Dani situated stage right and, in the center,, Terra stood mostly in between two vertical lights that changed color and blinked along with the music. Terra is a great performer and used those lights to her advantage. She moved in such a way that her powerful and mesmerizing voice became multi-dimensional art; she has a way of making both haunting and beautiful. Rituals of Mine put on a great set and definitely made some new fans that night.

Next up was the highly anticipated Garbage, a Scottish/American alternative rock band that was huge in the 90s. This night was to celebrate 20 years of their second studio album Version 2.0 (does that make us feel old? yup). One of the many great things about Garbage is that each member is talented enough to stand alone on their own talent, but together they make an unstoppable force that has withstood the test of time. In case you didn’t know, Garbage is made up of drummer Bryan Vig, who is also a very accomplished producer. For example, he produced Nevermind for Nirvana. Guitarist Steve Marker is also a producer, who, in addition to pretty much all of Garbage’s albums, has produced songs that are featured in movies. Guitarist Duke Erikson is also a music producer, and then, of course, Scottish born singer Shirley Manson, who provides her unique and powerful voice to the talented band. Her rebellious attitude and style helped her become a role model for teenage girls who did not fit the preppy style and wanted to be a little edgy.

Shirley’s stage presence is still just as powerful as it was back in the 90s. Whenever there was a lull or break in a song, Manson would circle the stage and stomp around in her combat boots like a lioness circling her prey.

The set list included every track from Version 2.0, along with some rare tracks. I looked around the crowd and saw that the audience was singing their hearts out.

At one point, Manson took a moment to thank the crowd for being so awesome and supportive. She mentioned how she, herself, was bullied in high school and because of that, became a very guarded and angry person. She talked about how people were supportive in the past but that she never really let their compliments sink in. She stated that now that she is older, she sees and realizes that her fans have always been amazing and acknowledged that is touched by the outpouring of love that she and the band receive at every show.

Garbage is a band that you likely loved in the 90s, and if you didn’t, you certainly know of them. On this night they proved that their music stands the test of time and I feel privileged that I was able to witness that first hand.