Morrissey Announces 40th Anniversary Tour With a South Florida Date

Morrissey. Just saying the name can conjure all sorts of emotions, the primary one nowadays being revulsion. The former Smiths frontman has flirted (more like publicly tongue-kissed) with the far right, defended alleged sex criminal Kevin Spacey, and burned his collaborators. He is, at worst, a fascist, at best, a raging, egotistical twat with a fetish for shit-stirring and contrarianism, and his historically militant veganism is unexpectedly his most admirable trait.

Nevertheless, he is also (somewhat unfortunately) one of the greatest songwriters of the last 50 years, and he's got an Ivor Novello Award to prove it. His indelible voice and deftness with words have resulted in some of the most iconic indie-rock numbers of all time, both with the Smiths and — somewhat less so — as a solo act. Any best albums of the 1980s list without The Queen Is Dead is not worth consideration, while many a sad, sensitive boy, girl, or gender-nonconforming person has felt their heartstrings tugged by the likes of "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" and "This Night Has Opened My Eyes." Arguably half of those songs wouldn't be quite as iconic without Johnny Marr's guitar work — but that's a conversation for another time.

For these reasons, I feel obligated to inform you of Morrissey's impending appearance here in South Florida. The old bastard is playing a concert at Hard Rock Live on "Everyday Is Like Sunday," October 8, as part of his 40 Years of Morrissey Tour. Only 40? It feels like so much longer.

I also feel obligated to inform you that Moz has had quite a recent history of disappointing fans at his shows for various reasons, from not playing enough Smiths' classics to straight-up walking off the stage due to the weather. Bad mixing and lighting have also been problems in the past. I'm not saying don't go; I'm saying buyer beware. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, June 23, with a presale on Thursday at 10 a.m. Prices start at $69.50, which is appropriate for an artist that, figuratively speaking, will possibly end up fucking you.

In other Smiths-related news, the band's bassist Andy Rourke recently died from pancreatic cancer. Johnny Marr eulogized Rourke in a tweet, saying, "Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans." Morrissey, who continued to work with Rourke after the Smiths broke up, wrote of his friend and bandmate, "He will never die as long as his music is heard."

See all the upcoming tour dates for 40 Years of Morrissey below:

October 8 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Live
October 10 - St. Petersburg, FL - Duke Energy Center for the Arts
October 14 - Memphis, TN - Graceland Soundstage
October 15 - Nashville, TN - The Fisher Center at Belmont University
October 18 - Washington, DC - The Anthem
October 21 - New York, NY - United Palace
October 22 - New York, NY - United Palace
October 24 - New York, NY - United Palace
October 25 - New York, NY - United Palace

Morrissey. 8:30 p.m. Sunday, October 8, at Hard Rock Live, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood; 954-797-5531; myhrl.com. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, June 23, via ticketmaster.com.