Best Last Stand

Few people can say they were there when a rock star's fiery ascent sputtered, then exploded before disintegrating into irrelevance or, worse, self-parody. You know, that brief moment just before Elvis became Fat Elvis. Well, about the only thing Jane's Addiction seems to be hooked on these days is sitting in the lotus position, sipping wheat-grass juice and torpedoing once-proud music festivals. But for one sweaty, shining moment last December, Jane's Addiction returned to the brilliant form of its smack-shooting days. The Beaumont Club was packed to (and perhaps beyond) capacity with people there to witness Perry Farrell, Dave Navarro and company pelvic-thrust their way through classics such as "Jane Says" and "Been Caught Stealin'" in one last burnout before they faded the way of Lollapalooza.