OT - Stooges on 4/21, Iggy's 60th

[Omaha_Perez]

I posted this to my blog, http://searchintodestroy.blogspot.com/ , there's a picture as well.
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So I know this is a little late, but I was lucky enough to catch The Stooges at The Warfield in San Francisco last Saturday, the 21st - Iggy's 60th birthday no less! I had last seen them in November of 2003 headlining the All Tomorrow's Parties festival at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, they blew me away that first time and did it again this time.

As with the 'o3 show Iggy and the Asheton brothers were joined by Mike Watt on bass and the original sax player from Fun House Steve Mackay. I found this set list online and I think this is accurate:
1.loose 2.down on the street 3.I wanna be your dog 4.tv eye 5.my idea of fun 6.dirt 7.real cool time 8.no fun 9.1970 10.mindroom 11.fun house 12.l.a. blues 13.skull ring 14.trollin' 15.1969 16.she took my money 17.not right 18.I'm fried 19.little electric chair

I felt bad for Iggy's roadie/personal security during "No Fun" - Iggy invited the crowd on stage and so there was literally a stage full of rowdy Stooges fans dancing and singing along. The poor roadie was doing his best to keep himself between Iggy and this unruly lot - most of them just wanted to give Iggy a hug but you never know I guess. Iggy kept having the lights turned on the audience so he could see the crowd and wave. He's really appreciative of his audience. He seemed genuinely touched when the audience sang, "Happy Birthday."

As always Iggy never stopped moving the entire 90 minute set. I don't exactly know why he's so entertaining to watch but you really can't take your eyes off of him. Maybe part of it is you never really know what he's going to do from one moment to the next. After the show, I saw a friend who said, "Only 90 minutes? Ah, that's where he's showing his age." To which I had to respond, "Neither you nor I could do what he just did for 90 minutes straight."

The band for lack of a better phrase, kicked ass! I could feel Mike Watt's bass rumbling through my feet and Scott Asheton and Ron Asheton were playing at their primal best. The tracks Steve Mackay played on reminded me how unique an album Fun House is. Primal hard rock meets free jazz... mindblowing! Let me just conclude by saying if you get the chance to see The Stooges, do not miss it!

[Divemistress of the Dark]

Well, tonight's the night. Can't wait can't wait can't wait.

Turns out the Memphis folks are being restrictive about what we can bring into the venue, so maybe no binoculars...but Ig's up against three other bands including the Allman Brothers, so maybe the mob won't be quite so huge.

Full report later on.

(oh yeah, and I turn 37 today. Whee...)

[GinaSuperCat]

DMotD: Wave hi to Iggy for me! We were scheduled to go but hubby wanted me to go to Vancouver in its stead (awww)...it's a really great lineup...please do tell us how it goes!

Omaha: great writeup of the B-day show...I haven't been to the Warfield in forever, but I can almost imagine the show from your description! He's truly sui generis...that mf is 60?? <grin>

[Divemistress of the Dark]

I can't top Omaha's review, really, other than to say the show was every bit as good as I had hoped. Same setlist, pretty much. We got on the front row! The Memph in May organizers put up a crowd control barrier that served as a runway out into the infield, and our man used it to full advantage.

All we were allowed to take inside were relatively crummy camera phones, but we managed to record a few of the moments for posterity.

http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/9642 ... alllv1.jpg

http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/6633/iggycw7.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eWg-j3hy8k

I really, really wished for some of you guys. Man they were good.

I'll write more later but I'm hurrying to go grab lunch before heading back down to the festival to catch the Ohio Players and Bobby Blue Bland. Check in soon! DotD

p.s. No offense to Sting, but GOD I love Mike Watt...got some stories about it too (saw him play on the first ever Foo Fighters tour, met him at the Exit/In in Nashville after seeing him play a blazing version of 'Sister Ray'...he bends those bass strings like they're nothing. DAMN. DAMN!!!! I still can't believe how good he was.)

[Laz]

Glad you had a cool time... I remember seeing Mike Watt in Santa Monica playing at 14 Below (little club/bar) w/Hellride (featuring Peter DeStefano and Stephen Perkins of Porno For Pyros/Jane's). I actually met him before and after the show and helped him unload his bass amp from his van into the club. Needless to say, VERY laid back and VERY cool in person.

Laz

ps. Did you say Ohio Players? One of my all-time favorite bands! Wow!!

[Divemistress of the Dark]

Well, get yourself over here, Laz!! We went out and did some shopping, and I'm checking in while hub's in the shower...but yep, tonight's headliners include the Ohio Players, Bobby "Blue" Bland and Steely Dan (whom I wouldn't mind seeing, but they're on opposite BBB and there's the usual huge-festival huge crush of bodies...we're pretty beat after staying out all night last night, so it's just as well we'd as soon see BBB.)

[DirtyMartini]

I don't know how I missed this thread somehow.

Omaha, thanks for the Iggy 60th review. Sounds like a blast!


Dive, that new pic that you're using for your avatar is sweet. The camera phone-ish-ness actually works to an advantage! Great shot.

So how were Ohio Players and BBB?

And so uh, Mike Watt not so terrible then, huh?

Have a safe trip home!

[Divemistress of the Dark]

Everyone at the show was pretty great. I'd never seen BBB and am a fan, so it was a good time. He's getting up there in years, so it had been something of a priority for a while.

This afternoon we took a detour and visited the Stax Museum for a while...hub and I had both been a few times before, but it's one of those places you don't get tired of going, you know? Everyone in the soul and blues scene back in the late 60s/early 70s seems to have recorded there, and they've got all kinds of cool stuff like Otis Redding's favorite jacket and Isaac Hayes' Cadillac with 24k gold trim. Bought a couple trinkets for a correspondent of mine who may guess who she is.

Anyone ever in Memphis should really go and visit the place: www.staxmuseum.org. The Beale Street Festival was fun in a way, also, since we don't do that kind of thing all that often (I'm not a huge drinker, and a lot of the festivities seem to involve booze)...the downsides were the big crowd and the fact that it's already pretty hot and humid in Memphis this year. The upside, though, was same as Bonnaroo: really, really great performances. We'll probably go back sometime.

[conroy]

Great photo and great review, Dive! I will definitely consider checking it out next year if the lineup is as good and if the Police tour winds down by then.