This 2016 concert at Irvine Meadows, CA, finds Jane's Addiction marking the 25th anniversary of their hit 1990 album Ritual de lo Habitual while also performing songs from their self-titled debut, and Nothing's Shocking, their first major-label album. As the film stock changes from black-and-white to color and back again, front man Perry Farrell sings alongside guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins, and bassist Chris Chaney (taking over from Eric Avery). Although Farrell spent years overseeing Lollapalooza and fronting Porno for Pyros, he hasn't missed a nostalgic step. The dreadlocks are gone, but he remains a lithe, wiry figure, here clad in a moiré pantsuit and neckerchief. The band opens the 13-song set with the electrifying "Stop!", which gives Navarro the chance to shine, and ends with the Velvet Underground-inspired hit "Jane Says." Anyone who didn't like their music in the 1990s probably won't like it now—especially when Farrell scats and slips into a French accent during "Been Caught Stealing"—but the band does justice here to their patented brand of metallic alt-rock. And if the addition of two scantily-clad dancers seems like a regressive move, it's also true to the band's intentionally tawdry Sunset Strip aesthetic, which extends to the Ritual album cover (in which a papier-mâché figure of Farrell cavorts with two nude women). When it comes to stage patter, Farrell sometimes connects with the audience, sometimes not: they're happy to hear about the band's early days, but express little enthusiasm for his riff on cable news. But then again, they came to rock, and Jane's Addiction certainly delivers on that front. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, extras include a bonus audio CD. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)
Jane's Addiction: 2016 Silver Spoon Anniversary Tour
(2016) 85 min. DVD: $24.99 (audio CD included), Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $29.99 (audio CD included). Music Video Distributors (avail. from most distributors). Volume 32, Issue 6
Jane's Addiction: 2016 Silver Spoon Anniversary Tour
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