February 16 - Minneapolis, MN - State Theater by Steve SET LIST Lie to Me Time Message of Love My Baby Talk of the Town You Know Who Your Friends Are Time the Avenger Kid The Homecoming Up the Neck Fools Must Die The Losing Biker My City Was Gone Complex Person Nothing Breaks Like a Heart Back on the Chain Gang Don't Get Me Wrong Rebel Rock Me Night in My Veins Precious ----------------------------------------------- I'll Stand by You Middle of the Road ----------------------------------------------- Thin Line Between Love and Hate Mystery Achievement Brass in Pocket The Pretenders performance was solid, but not unforgettable. Anyone who has seen the band live knows Chrissie often interacts with audience members between songs. That interaction was present through out the entire show, but was particularly lengthy through the middle of the first set. I have witnessed many examples of this interaction from numerous artists. At first it seems unique and I feel special to be witness to it. Later, I attend or read reviews of subsequent shows and the same banter is noted at the same point in the show and I realize it was all just an act. With that said, I have listed a small fraction of some of Chrissie's comments during the show. Rehearsed or original, I couldn't say. - Chrissie offered thanks to some organization that monitors the treatment of farm animals in Minnesota. She then clarified that by "farm animals" she was referring to animals that live on actual farms as opposed to the ladies in the first several rows. -She told meat eaters that she wasn't going to bother to tell them to fuck themselves since they were doing it to themselves already. -Asked the audience if they wanted to hear an obscure track that she said was the best song they ever gave away to a soundtrack. She then said "Let's hear it for Americans everywhere" while raising her hand in the air. As the band began "The Homecoming" Chrissie said into the mike in quieter voice "You're all going die". -Announced her latest rant is that she hated sports and inquired as to the local sports teams. She seemed unable to hear any one response as audience members simultaneously shouted the names of the various local teams. One persistent fan in the second row finally made himself heard above all others and told Chrissie she had to love hockey. Chrissie responded by telling him she was going to tell him to fuck himself in a minute, and then stated she hated hockey. -A short analysis of the effect of her shows was that at the end she went away happy and the audience goes away sad. -Demanded that a spotlight operator shine a light on a fan in one of the first several rows who was wearing a t-shirt that read "I STILL LOVE CHRISSIE, GO FUCK YOURSELF". -Requested the audience beg her for a reggae tune before performing "Complex Person". -Requested the audience beg her more forcefully before playing a second reggae song in a row. When the crowd did not respond sufficiently she stated she wasn't going to dance through another reggae song and feel like "a putz" while the audience stared at her in a seated position waiting for "another rocker". She offered not to play the second reggae song if the audience didn't want to hear it. She finally singled out the hockey fan (a man of course) and told him to beg her for another reggae tune. The fan appeared to get on his knees in the main aisle before the stage. The bad began "Nothing Breaks Like a Heart" with Adam apparently blowing the intro as she waved the song to a halt. She then joking berated Adam by saying his actions were worse than feeling like a putz and demanded he play it like they had rehearsed it. Stated that either her or the crowd needed to be polite. Then stated that she obviously was incapable of being polite. -An animated female fan appeared to use the barricade to establish a height advantage and gain Chrissie's attention during a song. Chrissie told her at the conclusion of the song that they were not a "riot kind of band". Chrissie then informed the assembled that she was fully capable of inciting riot if she wanted to, but that she was too nice. -Before the final song she asked the audience what they wanted them to play. Before she could find someone calling out for the song they were undoubtedly going to play anyways, a fan held up a piece of paper. She read "Bad Boys Get Spanked" in a questioning sort of tone. She then informed the fan that the action called for in the song requested would take place backstage after the show.