Garbage’s Shirley Manson shares an anecdote about a friend that inspired the song, “Girl Don’t Come.” 

She is playfully poking fun at this mysterious friend, and seems to continue the teasing even as she sings. She performs the song with the same energy as she presented it — fun, laughing as she delivers the chorus.

Garbage reached quick and unexpected success with the release of their debut album “Garbage” in 1995.

Twenty years later, the band performs the whole album for the first time since its release. The venue is Stubb’s.

When they segway into “Not My Idea,” one of their well-known songs, it becomes pretty clear that they are all too aware of their dedicated fan base. They aren’t arrogant — they just get to reap the reward that comes from maintaining a gracious connection with their fans. 

There is no apprehension as Manson holds the mic out to the audience; she knows they will sing the words back at her. It works with her commanding and affable stage presence.

During one of their hits, “Only Happy When It Rains,” Manson drops the chorus and laughs it off. It seems like she could have sung only half the song, and the crowd would still be hanging on every word.

Manson is appreciative of her committed fans who have been following her for two decades now.

“On behalf of the entire band, thank you so much for choosing us. Thank you so much for hearing. Thank you so much for understanding.”

The crowd appreciates Manson’s acknowledgement with shouts and head nods. There’s no jumping around or moshing, but everyone is enjoying the show in a laidback way that matches the amenable demeanor of the band itself.

Most of the crowd is middle-aged, although a few punker millennials stand out.

Steve Marker, one of the guitarists maintains an energy that is unaffected by his age, and overall the band’s energy makes every song of the set seem like it’ll be the finale; but they keep playing hard.

The energy carries even into the ends of songs. Unlike a lot of contemporary punk bands, Garbage plays awesome outros; every song ends with either an echoing fade-out or dramatic clash of symbol.

The album is timeless; if Garbage would’ve released today, or 30 years from now, it would still be a huge success.