Last night had to be one of the most rock n’ roll moments I’ve witnessed in a long time. Gavin Rossdale of Bush made a big impression when he decided to jump off the stage just a few songs into their set. He followed it up with performing a full song from the floor of the venue to a crowd full of adoring fans that followed along and worshiped him like the rock deity that he is. The moment came early in the night and was just one of the many highlights of a performance that was energetic, charismatic and must have been cathartic for the lead singer that’s been going through some unfortunate hard times as of late.
Rossdale, who was recently interviewed by the Examiner a little over a week ago, was quoted as saying that after his divorce from Gwen Stefani he was in a dark place. “But it was really dark,” said the singer. “I was seeing two shrinks at the time, and they both said, ‘You’ve got to get back to work.’ But I couldn’t think about work; I couldn’t think about anything.”
Something must have emerged inside of him because last night, not only did he bring his A-Game but Rossdale put so much heart and passion into his performance that it will go down as one of the best the legendary venue has ever seen.
It’s rare these days for rock bands to hit the San Francisco live music scene, so the appearance by Bush last night was very much welcomed by those in attendance. A filled out auditorium was comprised of many that had trekked out on a Thursday night to pay homage to a band known for their own brand of post-grunge with hit singles like “Glycerin,” “Everything Zen,” “The Sound of Winter,” and “Machinehead.”
Gavin was fit and energetic, and for someone who recently hit the 50-year mark, you’d never know it by the way he was jumping up and down to every song. Last night he looked more like a mix of Mick Jagger and Olivia Newton John than the proud father of three that he is.
He kept the energy and charisma on high the whole time and what really stood out for me is that these days it’s really the older bands that are putting to shame some of the younger cats out there. Many newer acts today seem to be making a big first impression with a strong hit single or two when they first come out, yet somehow shortly afterward slowly fade into the sunset. It’s refreshing to see bands like Bush have the longevity that they’ve had and still play these stages with the same passion and zest as when they were half their age.
Set List for Bush’s Live Performance in San Francisco
Everything Zen
Nurse
The Chemicals Between Us
The Sound of Winter
Mad Love
Greedy Fly
The Only Way Out
Reasons
The People That We Love
Swallowed
The Beat of Your Heart
Sky Turns Day Glo
Letting the Cables Sleep
Peace-S
Little Things
Encore:
Machinehead
The One I Love/Black Hole Sun
Glycerine
Comedown
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