[I just watched this again tonight. And so I bring an old review back for another round, simply because this DVD is so good!]
Rock ‘n’ Roll is pretty damn primal at its core. The closer to the heart of it you get, the hotter the core boils. I really don’t think that it gets any hotter than one of Rock’s better creative forces, Iggy Pop. And nowhere do you get a front row view of that primitive force than on Live at The Avenue B DVD.
Iggy Pop’s validity at being one of Rock’s early children is indisputable. He has stinted with The Stooges and made several classic albums with that lineup. He then created one of the most potent pre-punk albums ever made with Raw Power. After lanquishing for a time, being then resurrected by David Bowie, Iggy Pop went on to show just how great a performer he could be. Now, some 35 years later, 35 FREAKING YEARS later, this man can STILL show anyone how it’s really done in that molten hot core of creation.
Within the first few songs, Iggy has already sacrificed himself to the audience, launching from the stage and into the hands of the very essence of his craft, the people. Do I sound like I’m in awe? You’re bloody right, I am. Nothing captures the incredible energy that this man puts forth like Live at The Avenue B.
With 21 songs, many of them classic Pop tunes from every era of his career, along with a small dose of covers like “Louie Louie,” and “Shakin’ All Over,” Iggy’s 1999 show from Brussels underscores his unending dance with the ultimate purity of Rock. In this show, Iggy discourses with the audience, comes into extreme close contact with them (including a swarming of fans on the stage), and powerfully centers the universe at his feet. He mocks, he adores, he dances, he entertains. He does all of this in magnificent widescreen and choices of beautifully mixed Stereo, or if you prefer, 5.1 Dolby or DTS.
Iggy Pop IS the Rock’n’ Roll Hall of Fame and Live at The Avenue B easily explains why Iggy is its reigning icon. I rave not because I’m a fan, which I am. I rave because this DVD showcases a powerful display of rock n roll, the like of which I have never before seen on DVD.
You owe it to yourself to pick this one up. No shit!
“I’m a product of the paranoia of the age I’m in…” – Avenue B
Release Date: July 19, 2005
Label: Virgin
Website
Availability: DVD
–Matt Rowe