Photos by Colin Kerrigan. For all of our SXSW 2013 coverage, head here.
By this point, of course a Stooges concert is formulaic: They break out some gems from their back catalog and Iggy flails around onstage like a deranged ape. (At the Vans/Fat Possum showcase at Mohawk, they opened with "Raw Power" and "Gimme Danger".) But this is the fucking Stooges we're talking about here. These are classic songs played loud and sung by one of rock'n'roll's greatest frontmen. Even when the mix was blown out, it was still abundantly clear that James Williamson's guitar, Mike Watt's bass, and Steve Mackay's saxophone were all near flawless at every turn. (Seriously, Williamson's "Search and Destroy" solo sounded almost identical to the one on Raw Power.)
But those were the classic songs, and the Stooges came to SXSW to debut material from their new album.
Lest you've already forgotten The Weirdness, new Stooges material can be sort of a disaster. But to the band's credit, the new stuff earned a well-earned warm reception from the crowd. The band ripped through the new tracks with the same energy they brought to their old stuff and Iggy can still deliver a killer vocal performance. Unfortunately, the lyrics occasionally seeped through the barrage of guitar heroics, revealing egregious lines like "I'm on my knees for those double Ds."
But as one of the best live bands of all time, the Stooges can take some mediocre songs and sell them like pros (i.e. with very loud guitars.) Do any of their new songs meet the bar they set between 1969 and 1973? Not at all. But even with a couple of duds, the Stooges will probably be one of the most exciting things I'll see in Austin this week. Also, it turns out, people still love "I Wanna Be Your Dog".
Between-sets music for the coming punk rock onslaught: "O Fortuna"
People in the front rows want to: Touch Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop wants to: Hold all of their hands and occasionally spit on them
Photographer Colin Kerrigan: Had to dry Iggy Pop spit off of his camera
Very notably playing air guitar in the background: Japandroids' Brian King
Steve Mackay fashion choice: Maracas matched vest
A very real fear: Iggy threatened to whip his cock out