Dude Looks Like Beef Jerky And We Don't Care

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 27, 2010 9:20PM

At first glance one could accuse Iggy and the Stooges of miking money out of nostalgia. Their last album sucked, they recently trumpeted the return of early guitarist James Williamson to the fold, their sets mostly incorporate material almost four decade old, and on paper these moves would describe the actions of a group of has-beens. But we are wholly endorsing their show at The Riv (moved from its original location at The Aragon) this Sunday and think you're nuts if you miss it.

First of all, Iggy Pop is still a brute on-stage. The man that used to roll in glass and cover himself in peanut butter may not employ such self-destructive tactics any longer but he still brings it 110% as he flings himself from one side of the stage to the other and jerks back and forth from some high voltage internal electrical current. Backing him is as many of the original members of The Stooges that are still breathing, a handful of later additions to the band, and Mike Watt holding down the low end on bass. The band may be older but they still can deliver the thunderous attack that the early material demands. The older, slower, heavier and bluesier numbers no longer have the creepy menace they used to, but in the hands of this band they can still scare the living daylights out of you. And the faster proto-punk isn't as chaotic as they once were but the band's precision makes the music cut without sucking the life out of it.

Iggy and the Stooges are showing their age physically, but their music remains timeless and they continue to show their devotion to doing that unbelievable back catalog justice.

Iggy and the Stooges play Sunday, August 29, at The Riv, 4746 N Racine, 6:30 p.m., $50, all ages