all photos (C) 2010 Heather Harris. All Rights Reserved.
Leanna Asheton just did a nice thing for her late uncle, guitarist Ron Asheton who passed away unexpectedly a year ago Jan. 6th, as well as did a highly accomplished, professional thing. As promoter, she commemorated his Stooges' legacy in her tribute to Ron Asheton Jam at the Roxy, Hollywood, Calif., January 13, 2010.
Belying her youth (she's 18) Ms. Asheton ably produced a show that featured performers with connections to the Stooges, both as legendary participants or as edgy young bands on the ascent, with the following lineup of the jamming and groups: Billy Boy On Poison; The Entrance Band; Night Horse (from Leanna and the Stooges' native Michigan); The Living Things, a group of brothers like The Stooges; drummer Scott "Rock Action" Asheton (original and current Stooge) and Leanna's father; Mike Watt (current Stooge); Steve Mackay (original and current Stooge); Scott Thurston (original Iggy and The Stooges Stooge); Stephen Perkins (Jane's Addiction); Chad Smith (drummer, Red Hot Chili Peppers); singer Anna Rose; Derek Stanton (singer/songwriter/guitarist of Ann Arbor MI's fabulous Stooge-esque-but-noise-band power trio Awesome Color); Mike Jtone, singer of Circus Boy (from Ann Arbor MI as well); The Raw Power Rangers (a Stooges circa 1973 tribute band comprised of L.A. punk luminaries); Steve Baise and Don Bolles; and even a random audience member (one Trevor Swenson) pulled onstage to karaoke "I Wanna Be Your Dog." No bottles or cameras were thrown.
Pictured at top: Mike Watt, Scott "Rock Action" Asheton and Scott Thurston, Stooges all, left to right. Current Stooges reunion's Watt had not publicly performed before with Raw Power vintage Stooge Thurston, initially the keyboard player (I took live Stooges photos from that era!) here pinch-hitting on guitar for Raw Power's James Williamson who had to return to Anaheim that night for his pre-booked (way before the Ron Jam was announced) participation in the NAMM show, a giant electronics/technology/music/musical instruments annual event. In fact, I took the photos of James for Blackstar Amplifiers as showcased therein and for its current print ads (see photo blog HERE.)
Above, Leanna's dad, Scott "Rock Action" Asheton, the drummer who has influenced everyone, and her late uncle Ron Asheton circa 1992. (next, time warp to a two years later portrait of Leanna.)
Yet another original Stooge, saxophonist Steve Mackay
of "Funhouse" notoriety (and an essential component
of the current reunion tour spotlighted on Youtube in
their Brazil Nov. 2009 gig that featured the return of James Williamson to the Stooges after his 38-year-absence, slashing out his breakneck-speed "Search
And Destroy" simultaneous leads and chords as if
he never had left. Mackay's riffing works as a
second guitar fill, while his soloing provides
an interlude to clear the stage of audience
member-dancers invited onstage by singer
Iggy Pop to rowdily commune,
Stooges-style.)
Astonishing bassist/singer Mike Watt in action and with Scott Thurston, Stooge to Stooge.
Singer Lillian Berlin, right, of The Living Things, the band of brothers, is the husband of Floria Sigismondi, director of the new biofilm on The Runaways with Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie and that Twilight girl as Joan Jett, due for release early this year. Good pedigree!
Fetching and talented bassist Paz Lenchatin from The Entrance Band, an electronic effects-loving guitar/bass/drums trio.
The Raw Power Rangers (Stooges' tribute band) singer David Arnson gets backed by a real Stooge and a Germ.
Awesome Color guitarist Derek Stanton, right, nobly emotes while Circus Boy singer Mike Jtone prepares to trash his jam band members Steve Mackay and Scott Thurston's instruments, careening around spilling beer and unbottled water on keyboards, sax mikes et al. I found this a puzzling response to the recent redemption of the longtime feloniously undervalued, underdog Stooges, heroes of myself and most in the know for the last 40 years. IMHO, it came off as a lame shtick. Steve Mackay's onstage reaction is posted last...
Well, firstly it was snowing on April 18th in Ann Arbor. I may have pissed off the locals when they queried how this SoCal native liked the snow with a reply noting its utter exotica to me. No matter, gracious hostess and bloggist extraordinaire Kim Retrokimmer Maki scooped yours truly up for a whirlwind working vacation tour around assorted music-related sights of A2.
Above, Ms. Retrokimmer is pictured with Rick Ruiner of The Ruiners, then below with the formidable Deniz Tek (see info two graphs from this) added to this crew after her own interview segment for Ron Perry's filmed documentary on the entire span of the Detroit and Ann Arbor music world, "Detroit Rock Project." Besides being an interviewee, Deniz, a good friend of the late Ron Asheton, was slated to play Ron's guitar both literally and figuratively at the tribute to the latter.
Niagara and Ron Asheton in Dark Carnival
I photographed Ron Asheton thrice, once at the Coconut Teazser club in L.A. sitting in with The Empty Set (you actually can order a legit cd of that gig here http://birdcagerecords.com/?page_id=3460 ;) once with Dark Carnival at another venue (middle photo with the inimitable Niagara;) and once at a recording session with Scott Richardson (SRC,) and Ray Manzarek (The Doors) (third pic above with yours truly by their producer, Harvey Kubernik. It was eighteen years ago, and I hardly resemble that now, although I still wear the same Death Cult t-shirt with Mickey's skull.)
