Iggy Pop’s latest album Post Pop Depression, made in collaboration with Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, may be his last according to him. But even if that is the case, at 68-years-old, Pop has made one of the strong albums of his career and a rock album that all others will have to live up to in 2015. Currently on tour in support of the record, Pop has taken Homme (guitar, bass, keys), and other album collaborators, including QOTSA’s Dean Fertita (guitar, keys), Matt Helders (drums) of Arctic Monkeys and Those musicians, as well as QOTSA/A Perfect Circle’s Troy Van Leeuwen Matt Sweeney from Chavez, on the road with him.
Though the set avoided any Stooges songs, Pop dazzled fans with numerous other classics and the full weight of the songs from Post Pop. As Radio.com noted, “this show saw an artist who became a legend by challenging his audience, challenging them one more time. Happily, the fans were up for it: like a jazz legend, he wasn’t just playing the songs that blew our minds in the first place. He reminded that he can still blow our minds today, and that’s a bit more satisfying.”
Pop definitely blew my mind. His was one of the best no-nonsense rock performances I’ve ever seen and he never shied away from making fun of himself, grandiosely skipping across stage while singing “la-la-la-la lalalala” or stuffing his microphone in the front of his pants, nor did he shy away from having fun. Pop threw himself into the crowd’s arms not once but twice, and hilariously, the second time, it seemed like the crowd only wanted to push him back on stage, instead of allowing him to go into the seated area as he intended. It took a few tries before he could make it but when he was in the aisle, Pop was singing and dancing amidst fans (and photographer Bob Gruen). The legend is clearly going (hopefully not going out just yet) strong and I highly recommend catching him post-haste.
SETLIST
Lust for Life
Sister Midnight
American Valhalla
Sixteen
In the Lobby
Some Weird Sin
Funtime
Tonight
Sunday
German Days
Mass Production
Nightclubbing
Gardenia
The Passenger
China Girl
[encore break]
Break Into Your Heart
Fall in Love With Me
Repo Man
Baby
Chocolate Drops
Paraguay
Success
TOUR DATES
04/15/16 – Philadelphia, PA – Academy of Music
04/19/16 – Miami Beach, FL – The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater
04/28/16 – Los Angeles, CA – The Greek Theatre
05/04/16 – Stockholm, Sweden – Cirkus
05/05/16 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Falconer
05/07/16 – Berlin, Germany – Tempodrom
05/08/16 – Hamburg, Germany – Mehr! Theater
05/10/16 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Heineken Music Hall
05/13/16 – London, UK – Royal Albert Hall
05/15/16 – Paris, France – Le Grand Rex
05/28/16 – Munchen, Germany – Rockvaria *
06/04/16 – Vienna, Austria – Rock in Vienna *
06/11/16 – Newport, UK – Isle of Wight Festival *
06/17/16 – Aarhus, Denmark – Northside *
06/19/16 – Hinwil, Switzerland – Rock the Ring *
07/01/16 – Arras, France – Mainsquare Festival *
07/03/16 – Rotselaar, Belgium – Rock Werchter *
07/06/16 – Cognac, France – Festival Cognac Blues Passions *
07/08/16 – Limoges, France – Lost In Limoges *
07/11/16 – Luxembourg, Luxembourg – C.C. Rencontre Abbaye de Neumunster *
07/15/16 – Lisbon, Portugal – Super Bock Super Rock Festival *
07/17/16 – Salacgriva, Latvia – Positivus Festival *
07/23/16 – Nordfjordeid, Norway – Malakoff Rockfestival *
07/29/16 – Saint-Nazaire, France – Festival Les Escales *
07/31/16 – Gignac, France – Ecaussysteme Festival *
08/12/16 – Helsinki, Finland – Flow Festival *
08/14/16 – Landerneau, France – Fete Du Bruit *
08/28/16 – Boulogne-Billancourt, France – Rock En Seine *
* Iggy Solo Performance