James Iha |
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Wed. April 01.1998 8:40 PM EST |
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Pumpkins Axeman James Iha Holds SpotlightProves himself to be a solid performer even without his normal bandmates at his side. by Correspondent Dave Thomas |
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Members of the Frogs, Ivy, Catherine and even bassist D'Arcy Wretzky made it for opening night. (Frank Micelotta) |
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CHICAGO -- There was no sign of Billy Corgan in the crowd. Not a bald
head for miles, in fact. Still, for James Iha, this might as well have been a hero's homecoming. When the demure Smashing Pumpkins guitarist took the
Yet, Iha wasn't exactly standing before a group of strangers. In attendance were Ivy guitarists Adam Schlesinger and Dominique Durand, who had played the Metro earlier that night, and who later joined Jimmy and Dennis Frog of the Frogs in a huddle at the back of the theater. But that's not all; Catherine singer Mark Rew was seated behind bandmate Kerry Brown, who was next to D'Arcy Wretzky, his wife and Iha's colleague in the Smashing Pumpkins. Absent was Corgan, who is putting the finishing touches on the upcoming Punpkins album, Adore. Iha played with his four-piece backup band to a crowd of friends, special guests and fans lucky enough to score a highly sought-after ticket to the Top Note Theater, located four floors above the popular club Metro. Only 60 tickets were sold for this inaugural concert. In addition to members of the alternative rock acts Ivy and Catherine, the eclectic outfit the Frogs and Pumpkins bassist D'Arcy -- all of whom gathered in the semi-circular room that was decorated with hanging oriental rugs and dark- red mood lighting -- the Space Monkeys (who had played with Ivy that night at the Metro) were in attendance for the set that saw Iha running through a majority of his first solo album, Let It Come Down. Warning the crowd that most of his songs are ballads, Iha spoke with a blank face that lasted throughout his performance. And though the songs bordered on dirges at times, his inspiringly sweet vocals lifted the melancholy tunes from their depths. Unfortunately, most of the crowd sat stoically in their seats, occasionally bobbing their heads if only for effect, and that bothered Pumpkins' fan Jason Burin. "You couldn't tell who were fans or not. You wondered whether they even owned the album," said Burin, 22, of Arlington Heights, Ill., who was thrilled to be a part of this rare performance. "That's the only way I'd want to see something like that. It was really unique." In his first performance with a full band, Iha displayed a sense of humor and humility that was endearing, especially between songs. "This is my first-ever show, so thanks. Well not my first-ever show, first-ever show singing the whole time," Iha explained with a dry delivery. Iha, dressed simply in a long-sleeve black shirt, remained relatively motionless through the show, preferring to let his music take center stage. And it was his music that held the spotlight. His vocals greatly accentuated the slow ballads such as "No One's Gonna Hurt You" (RealAudio excerpt) and "Lover Lover." "You have to pardon my ballads, I write many. They're all sad," Iha said with a laugh before playing "Sound of Love." While having recently left the Pumpkins, Matt Walker delivered solid drumming, even though he looked like he was itching to pound out some hard-rock songs instead of the slower material. Guitarist Neil Casal didn't stray much from his unoriginal, Jerry Garcia-influenced solos. The only problem with Iha performing live is that he can't play every guitar part. Instead, he was content to switch between two different acoustic guitars and handle the rhythm. The performance went by quickly with little space between songs. "I kind-of realized when I put this show together that I need another album, because I run out of songs," Iha said. Most of the songs from Let It Come Down were played, including "Be Strong Now" (RealAudio excerpt) and "Jealousy," which offset the ballads with tight pop-song constructions and upbeat drumming. "Country Girl" also translated well to the stage as did the B-side "Take Care," which ended the show. The crowd, which had remained relatively unresponsive through the performance, finally celebrated Iha with a set-closing standing ovation that lasted until the guest of honor left the stage. While his solo career is definitely in its infancy, Monday night's show -- one of only three that Iha has scheduled -- went a long way in redefining the quiet rock guitarist as a singer/songwriter. Certainly, his fans left with a whole new image of the man. "I thought his voice was very impressive. He can definitely hold his own," Burin said. |
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