Its like the old Ziegfeld Theater in midtown Manhattan, except more and better.
Burgundy and gold are the colors that dominate, but this isnt Trumps gold; its warmer, everywhere.
The theater itself seats more than 3,000.
Credit: Xavi Torrent/Redferns via Getty Images
Kings Theatre is a grand space with equally grand sound.
Morrissey, like the theater, is a survivor.
But Morrissey was the show.
I first saw him in concert with The Smiths in 1985, at a small theater outside Detroit.
There wasnt much for a single 23-year-old to do in Grosse Pointe.
On stage, Morrissey embodied that minor rebellion.
He wasnt pure sex, like Prince, who also came to Detroit that year.
And The Smiths werent as raw as punk.
It was always a seductive challenge, a come-on to take risks, with him by your side.
Toward the end of the concert, a couple of my students rushed the stage.
Sitting in the cheap seats, I couldnt blame them.
He has said that he has esophageal cancer, but it doesnt seem to have harmed his vocal chords.
Instead, its pure and strong, reaching everywhere in that beautiful theater.
On stage, Morrissey is extraordinarily extroverted, even for a lead singer.
Prince put on a show.
Morrissey just seems to be himself, begging for attention with that voice of his.
The show he does put on is almost awkward, endearingly sincere.
He stands with his legs spread wide, his shirt unbuttoned to his navel.
When he took off his shirt towards the end of his set, it came in fits and tugs.
He whipped that around, too, before throwing it into the crowd.
It wasnt camp, or silly, but it also wasnt sexy.
His torsos thick and sturdy now, far from lithe.
Watching Morrissey on that Flatbush stage reminded me of another Brooklyn experience: Reading Jonathan LethemsFortress of Solitude.
Like that novel, Morrissey is sincere, operatic, and admirably messy.
A left-winger whos a self-proclaimed humasexual, hes also been called a homophobe and fascist.
He wants our love and he wants to preach, but he wants his privacy.
Hell tour here, but he says hes done performing in England.
He ended his main set with Irish Blood, English Heart, a tribute to his own mixed-up heritage.
Born in England to Irish parents, hes an anti-royalist who has aged so successfully hes become music royalty.
Morrisseys security has improved over the years.
The fan and the guard disappeared into the crowd.
It was a quick and brutal moment.
He was the king of Kings Theatre.
Jack the Ripper
What She Said
Encore
Judy Is a Punk (Ramones cover)
Irish Blood, English Heart
