Vibrant altars capturing the essence of Día de los Muertos lined the Santa Barbara Bowl’s Jerry Garcia Glen last Saturday night as people made their way to their seats for an evening of music honoring the Mexican holiday.
First up was the Mexican Institute of Sound, which performed an electrifying opening set, warming up the maximum-capacity crowd for the eagerly awaited headliner Morrissey.
The atmosphere was as gothic as a haunting operatic melody as Morrissey took the stage, his band’s faces painted like skulls. Clearly in his element, the beloved singer shouted, “And to you I say, happy death day!” before igniting the evening with a passionate rendition of The Smiths’ classic “How Soon Is Now?” from their 1985 record, Meat Is Murder.