Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds “played” the San Diego Civic Theatre on Monday June 26th, 2017. I use quotations marks around played because he didn’t much play but more like sang, preached, screamed, recited and just absolutely owned the theatre with his presence for over 2 hours of music.

Is it normal to start feeling anxiety and a panic attack coming in about 4 songs deep into a Nick Cave concert? Because that’s exactly what was happening that night. There is this energy that Nick Cave emits that, if you’re sensitive enough you will be able to feel his warmth, his sadness, his anger and fury. He draws you in. He commands attention. He will be heard.

Monday’s show was no exception to his previous tours. After 18 songs and a little over 2 hours Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds filled the theatre with beautiful ballads surrounded by the loudest noise and screams and snarls that your ears could handle.

It didn’t matter if this was your 1st show or your 10th, this was still a special show. Specially when “Stagger Lee” started playing and Nick Cave summoned the crowd to join him onstage for the remainder of that song and “Push The Sky Away”.