Iggy Pop reignites his David Bowie period with all-star band at Northrop

The going line on Iggy Pop's latest tour has one of punk rock's most iconic and unruly singers finally facing the music and slowing down, a premise reinforced when he picked the rather sedate Northrop auditorium to play his first Twin Cities concert in 15 years.

When the Stooges singer finally hit the stage Monday night, though, it took all of 15 seconds for that mellowing thesis to go up in smoke.

At 68, the short and spindly, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer (born James Osterberg) sported a limp and definitely did not look as spry as he used to be. But he still went into high-revving showman mode — writhing and strutting his way across Northrop's long theatrical stage — as his new all-star band kicked off the show with one of the most famous tunes of his 47-year career, "Lust for Life."

If Iggy had left after that one song, the 2,500 fans on hand still would have gotten one of the most high-adrenaline rock 'n' roll experiences of the year. He kept going for another two hours, though — not always at the same physical pace, but usually with the same musical intensity. By the third song, "American Valhalla," he was barechested. By show's end, he was surfing on the crowd's hands and had walked with his microphone all around the auditorium's main floor.

Iggy does seem to be owning up to his age on his downcast new album, "Post Pop Depression," a collaboration with Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, also his band leader on tour. Several of the new tunes seemed to point to remorse and a fear of fading away. In the dark-burning "In the Lobby," he gloomily bellowed, "Hope I'm not losing my life tonight." He introduced the brighter, semi-poppy "Chocolate Drops" as a song "I had to sing to myself to keep going."

Besides the eight new tunes, Monday's set list was made up almost exclusively of songs from two other LPs: "Lust for Life" and "The Idiot," both late-'70s albums produced by David Bowie. The material fit well together despite being decades apart. The manic freakiness of the oldie "Mass Production" was nicely matched by the artfully tense "German Days." The questionable sexual tone of "China Girl" (played just before the encore) was echoed in "Gardenia" (the finale).

Bowie obviously couldn't make the show — maybe in spirit — but his work was impeccably and excitedly reproduced by Homme's crew, which included his QOTSA bandmate Dean Fertita and Troy Van Leeuwen (both guitarists/keyboardists), Chavez bassist Matt Sweeney and Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders. Homme & Co. gave Iggy a thundering backdrop but never took any thunder from him.

If he wanted to, Iggy probably could keep going until most of his mostly Generation X-aged crowd become grandparents. And with shows like this one, he'd be crazy not to want to continue.

chrisr@startribune.com

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