Page 2 of 2
Nobody came to see Pop be kind, though -- they came to see him nearly destroy himself. Pop's first stage dive arrived four songs in, and they continued throughout the show. Each time, security would rush to the part of the stage where he'd gone off, and struggle to retrieve the bare-chested figure from the grabby, sweat-soaked crowd. After Pop poured water over his head, his retrievals looked like security was dragging in a drowned body after a shipwreck. But once back on stage, Pop always returned to fight mode, crashing into his bandmates and taunting the audience from above.
"Forty-five minutes is the longest that anybody is riveting," Pop told me earlier this year, and so the Stooges kept it short -- 70 minutes from lights off to lights on after a two-song encore. The set list focused on the Stooges greatest hits, giving Pop plenty of license to inhabit his madman persona. But it also revealed intriguing glimpses of his other sides.
Critic's Notebook
Question of the night: Is it possible to be truly frightened by someone with such long, pretty hair? (Answer: Yes, if his chest is suitably ripped.)
Best snarl: Pop's introduction to "I Need Somebody," which is probably my favorite Stooges song: "Are you ready to play the fuckin' blues right now?"
Openers: Le Butcherettes sounded heavy, strong, and interesting. I pity any band that has to share a bill with the Stooges, but I'll be checking them out.
----
Follow us on Twitter @SFAllShookDown, follow Ian S. Port @iPORT, and like us at Facebook.com/SFAllShookDown.
