Iggy Pop w/ Sexicolor @ the Pageant 10/24/01
The Godfather of Punk made an overdue visit to St. Louis on Wednesday, and Sexicolor was fittingly entrusted with the opening duties. After all, if any St. Louis band had a chance of catching Iggy’s attention, it is certainly Sexicolor.
They are dumbest rock band in the city (a compliment), and have the potential to be one of our finest exports if they get in the van and play out for a while. Since forming over a year ago, Sexicolor have managed to create an attractive musical package, playing their Detroit via St. Louis rock `n’ roll at high volumes with cocky swagger. Guitarist Spitzie West sneers at her audience and Jason Hutto attacks his flying “V” with a look of indifference. At gigs past, such posturing from unfamiliar faces may have seemed slightly frivolous and foolishly ambitious, but they have slowly become fantastic, and more importantly, legit.
In fact, Sexicolor is so legit their compact twelve-song set held up against Iggy’s ninety minutes of brutal punk rock. The set was divided between road-tested new songs and numbers from their debut, The Look and Feel of Sexicolor. “Andrea Murray” and “Mony” were the standouts with the obligatory “Wear My Pants” closing the set and paving the way for the shirtless wonder.
Forty-five minutes later the floundering Iggy Pop took the stage in tight blue jeans and immediately began a pummeling version of “Mask” from his new effort, Beat Em’ Up.
The howling guitars combined with Iggy’s inaudible screaming made it virtually impossible to decipher a note.
When “Espanol” and “Beat Em’ Up” followed, discomfort set in as the energy gradually increased to a bullish level.
Unfortunately, this is when the pit started, as the rowdy gorillas in attendance began to unleash the hostility from their respective day jobs and relationships on each other. It’s enough to ruin a gig, but you stick around and deal with it because Iggy Pop is at stake.
The Stooges number, “Search and Destroy” came quite early, and prompted the first of Iggy’s famous stage dives. As security struggled to remove him from the mob, it was interesting to hear how the song has changed. No longer is it the dense jam that appeared on Raw Power. It has morphed into a speed metal version, with Iggy deciding to scream rather than sing. The same can be said for “I Wanna Be Your Dog.” The set closing “No Fun” is the only Stooges song that justly lives up to its reputation, making it one of the best moments of the night.
Iggy is the still the ultimate showman and has maintained his ability to flail like an uncoordinated boxer on-stage, punching his fist in the air and bouncing on his feet. He never seems to run out of stamina, as late versions of “Cold Metal” and “TV Eye” still capture the earlier level of enthusiasm.
During “The Passenger,” Iggy explained that he couldn’t “stand the loneliness up on stage,” and invited all that were willing to come up and dance with him.
The first guy to make it on stage gave him some broccoli. Then, grown men came up in droves for hugs and words of affection. It’s an extremely pathetic sight, and you sense that Iggy knew this, as he bashfully seemed to avoid the outstretched arms that continued to come at him.
It was a uniform yet pleasing set with “Corruption” actually emerging as the night’s standout. There’s no sense in nitpicking an Iggy Pop show, because, if nothing else, you got to watch one of music’s most incendiary performers strut his stuff. Iggy left the stage after nineteen songs, covered in sweat and boasting a knowing smile. Could you ask for anything else?
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks w/ Pinetop Seven @ Mississippi Nights 10/30/01
Last time Stephen Malkmus was in St. Louis, he was on-stage at Mississippi Nights with his former band Pavement, running through an incredible version of “Unfair,” to close their show. It was also here in St. Louis where Pavement had an important band meeting, discussing their definite hiatus that led to the formation of various solo projects.
Malkmus was back at the Nights boasting his new band, the Jicks, with Pavement nutcase Bob Nastanovich even acting as tour manager. Malkmus was supporting February’s self-titled debut with a three-piece backing band and his wonderful sarcasm.
After the opening “Jennifer and the Ess Dog,” a specific group of MTV darlings is targeted. “I bet Sum 41 can’t do that,” explained Malkmus with a cocky smile. When an audience member points out that Sum 41 were taking the stage tomorrow in St. Louis for Halloween, the retort is swift and decisive. “I know dude. I wouldn’t mention them out of the blue,” said Malkmus.
Throughout the 75-minute set, cynicism ran its expected course, with band members sometimes coaxing Malkmus to quit talking and play some music. The show was sloppy and silly, as half-a**ed versions of songs were surrounded by commentary concerning Jennifer Tilly’s voluptuousness in Bride of Chucky.
Some audience members went away screaming incessantly, but they were gravely mistaken. Malkmus’ playful personality is part of the band, and they’ve got to consider what a Jicks show would be like without it.
Before “Church on White,” he does get very serious. Malkmus explains that one of his friends recently died and the last time he saw him was at Mississippi Nights. Malkmus musters a polite smile of remembrance and leads the band through a dedicated rendition.
The animated encore was simply ridiculous. In his finest falsetto, Malkmus led the Jicks through “High and Dry” from Radiohead and “If It Makes You Happy” by Sheryl Crow. Of course, it’s a tongue-in-cheek medley, capped off with lines from “Brass in Pocket” and “Debra.”
When Malkmus stepped behind the drum kit for “Satellite of Love,” he actually dedicated the song to Lou Reed.
“Lou, we put you on the guest list and you never come. We play this song every night for your pale, skinny, reptilian a**!” Drummer John Moen sang the classic, as Malkmus added drum-break vocals of “1,2,3, **** you.”
Chicago’s Pinetop Seven opened the evening and displayed their dramatic country-tinged pop for a brief eight-song set. They are kindred spirits to the Mekons and Calexico, although they boast a smoother sound and more diversified instrumental attack.
After a creepy Shangri-Las cover and the fantastic “The Fear of Being Found,” they were quickly on their way.
But nobody fretted for too long, because they knew that some indie rock lunacy was only a half-hour away.
