Review: Garbage Brought their Final North American Headline Tour to South Florida

Garbage has never been a band to play it safe. Since releasing their self-titled debut in 1995, Scottish singer Shirley Manson and band members Duke Erikson, Butch Vig, and Steve Marker have carved out a space of their own, where an alternative edge is coated with pop hooks, and where vulnerability is something they are not afraid of.

Nearly three decades later, the band still commands a room with the same swagger that made Version 2.0 a global phenomenon, but with the added gravity of time, experience, and, as Manson herself reminded the South Florida crowd at the Pompano Beach Amphitheater on Friday night, an awareness of finality.

The name of the tour that kicked off last Wednesday in Orlando is self-explanatory: Happy Endings Tour. It was advertised as the last North American headlining run and their first one in seven years. Manson confirmed to the fans while on stage that the decision was made “because it’s too complicated for several reasons.”

Garbage took the stage at 8:32 p.m., opening with the slow-burning defiance of “There’s No Future in Optimism” from their new album Let All That We Imagine Be the Light, released earlier this year. The setlist threaded new material with staples from across their discography, hitting fan favorites such as “I Think I’m Paranoid,” “Vow,” and the euphoric rush of “Push It.” And less popular gems like “The Trick Is to Keep Breathing” and “Hammering in My Head.”

In between songs, Manson praised Florida, mentioning we have “the best sunsets.” Garbage has indeed performed in the region several times, including a 2017 tour stop with Blondie at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood. Her local ties run deeper still: Manson has previously supported Miami Girls Rock Camp, underscoring Garbage’s ongoing commitment to causes beyond music.

The encore distilled the essence of Garbage’s legacy into two anthems: the ironic nihilism of “Only Happy When It Rains” and the playful “Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!).” By then, the crowd was drenched in nostalgia but also grateful.

Although this might be the last time we see Garbage as a headliner in the local stages, we do hope we still get to enjoy their presence one way or the other. Who knows… maybe Manson will get a house by the beach to keep enjoying beautiful sunsets.

Setlist

“There’s No Future in Optimism”
“Hold”
“Empty”
“I Think I’m Paranoid”
“Vow”
“Run Baby Run”
“The Trick Is to Keep Breathing”
“Not My Idea”
“Hammering in My Head”
“Wolves”
“Parade”
“No Gods No Masters”
“#1 Crush”
“Even Though Our Love Is Doomed”
“Chinese Fire Horse”
“When I Grow Up”
“Push It”
“Why Do You Love Me”
“The Day That I Met God”

Encore:
“Only Happy When It Rains”
“Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)”