Iggy, Stooges roar into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Literally flipping off the establishment as they took their rightful place among rock's elite, Ann Arbor's the Stooges brought a genuine punk rock spirit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony Monday night.

Stooges frontman Iggy Pop took the podium at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel and immediately raised two middle fingers to the crowd, a nod to the band's seven prior Hall of Fame strikeouts. But he was all smiles as he accepted the honor in front of an industry crowd that included Meryl Streep, Bruce Springsteen and a host of others. "We won!" he exclaimed proudly, as the Stooges joined a Hall of Fame class that included Genesis, ABBA, Jimmy Cliff and the Hollies. "We didn't win a lot starting out."

Iggy was joined on stage by Stooges guitarist James Williamson and drummer Scott Asheton, whom he described collectively as "the surviving Stooges." He acknowledged bassist Dave Alexander, who died in 1975, and Ron Asheton, who died last year in his Ann Arbor home.

Iggy focused his short acceptance speech on people and things he deemed "cool," including Ron Asheton; fellow counterculture rockers MC5; Danny Fields, who discovered the band; his wife; and "all the poor people who actually started rock and roll."

As he finished his speech, he began to get choked up as he spoke about the band's resurgence as a prolific touring act over the course of the last decade. "I think it was Fitzgerald who said there are no second acts in American life," he said, an audible lump building in his throat. "And this particular group of friends has had the good fortune of having a lovely, lovely second act, so thanks."

As Williamson took the mike to thank the host of musicians who have played in the Stooges over the years, Iggy stood behind him, removing his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt. He was down to just his tuxedo pants by the time the Stooges took the stage and performed "Search and Destroy," along with the group's signature song, "I Wanna Be Your Dog." On the latter, Iggy roamed into the audience, conjuring up a familiar sense of danger and stopping himself just short of throwing himself onto one of the round tables that dotted the posh ballroom. He returned to the stage and invited -- nay, dared -- members of the audience to join him and his band thrashed behind him. "C'mon, rich people! C'mon, let's get some rich ladies up here!" he squawked. "Show me you're not too rich to be cool!"

Among those who took him up on the offer were Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, who giddily jumped around the stage like a teenager at his first concert, and the members of Green Day.

It was Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong who inducted the Stooges, saying the group "symbolized the destruction of flower power and introduced us to raw power.

"When I think of the sound of war, chaos and demolition, sex, sensuality, poetry and brutal truth, I think of the Stooges," said Armstrong, who rattled off a colossal list of 75 bands he deemed descendants of the Stooges. "It's the sound of blood and guts, sex and drugs, heart and soul, love and hate, poetry and peanut butter."

Armstrong praised Iggy as "the most confrontational singer we will ever see," and also complimented him for having "the prettiest smile in the history of rock and roll."

As much as the Stooges goofed on their induction into the Hall, when Iggy flashed that smile on Monday, you could tell it was authentic. And that, too, is cool.

agraham@detnews.com">agraham@detnews.com