Stooges Review JF Kennedy Center 1973

Thanks to Chris S. for sending me this & Mark Jenkins for OKing it's posting here:

and another review of the gig:

Tommy Keene: In August 1973, Mott The Hoople played Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center in support of Mott. Opening up was none other than Iggy Pop. We were psyched! My brother and I had fifth-row seats on the aisle, but during Iggy’s opening set, my brother chose to sit up in the second row with friends of ours. I’ve read about this night in several Iggy bios. Apparently he and Bebe Buell were planning to take the Amtrak train down from New York because he wanted to schtup her in the bathroom, but a friend of hers spoiled that scenario by tagging along. That friend later offered him a couple of lines in the dressing room of what he thought was toot but turned out to be angel dust. The house lights went on and the show began as Iggy and the rest of the group ambled onstage. James Williamson, in complete Star Trek drag, hammered out the opening chords of “Raw Power” as Iggy stumbled around for a good minute or so before belting out the opening lines: “Dance to the beat of the living dead/Lose sleep, baby, and stay away from bed.” Something was clearly wrong, however, as they finished the song and Iggy laid down on the stage and muttered, “My doctor told me not to play tonight.” The band lurched on through a few more tunes, most memorably “I’ve Got My Cock In My Pocket” and “Rich Bitch” (“Buttfuckers trying to run my world”). After that one, he passed out, and Ron Asheton, who was on bass for this show, did the hand-swooping motion over him, like a fallen boxer—he’s out!

After a minute or so, Iggy got up, looking dazed and confused, as the band pumped out “Search And Destroy.” He started staring at little ol’ me on the aisle in the fifth row. He got down off the stage with the fallow spot following him and started walking like a zombie straight for me. I looked up to my brother and friends in the second row and saw them pointing and laughing at me. What the fuck was he doing? All eyes were upon me as he walked up to me. He stuck out his hand and motioned, “Come on, shake it, baby!” This was too surreal; I went to shake his hand, and he did the limp thing and pulled away. A guy behind me then smashed a Hostess cherry pie on Iggy’s bare chest while another squirted wine on Iggy from a wineskin. Iggy just rubbed it all onto himself, grunted and turned back to the stage. Three songs later, they pulled the plug and the house lights came on as he wailed over and over, “They won’t let us play anymore!” The Ig had gotten the royal hook indeed!

Thanks mc!!! I have been waiting to read this after seeing the pic a while back. Great job getting this one!!

mc wrote:

After that one, he passed out, and Ron Asheton, who was on bass for this show, did the hand-swooping motion over him, like a fallen boxer—he’s out!

haha, fantastic.

This story is not exactly as it happened.BeBe and her friend took Amtrak to DC. This was the plan as BeBe and I talked about it at Max's. Iggy and the band took a plane from St Louis to DC. I know because I was also on the same flight. I sat right next to Ron as I had traded seats with Scotty Thurston.

My friends were meeting me at the airport as they drove down from NYC. As it turned out, Iggy decided he did not want to go with the guys and he was coming with us and called shotgun so he could sit in the front seat. So we drove him to the Watergate Hotel where we all were staying. This was the summer after the US political scandal and Iggy just HAD to stay at the Watergate.

I am not sure when Iggy got messed up because he was fine all day into early evening before the show.I do remember Ron making gestures over Iggy but Iggy lying on the stage was a common occurance. After the show was another story. Several people were messed up. The reason I tell this story is because it is just one example where the myth is much wilder than the truth.