James Iha charms New York
"The title of the album (Let It Come Down) is supposed to say two things: I've had some of these songs for a while, and it's like the weather, when rain or snow is waiting to come down. It's a release in a way. I also think people expect me to be this alternative glam-rocker. It's about things coming down to being more about the songs, the sound, and the melodies." - James Iha
If James Iha's metaphor for his debut album is the weather, then his one-night New York City performance at The Mercury Lounge was cloudy and drizzly with occasional thunder. Standing center-stage in a simple black button-up shirt and dark blue jeans, wielding his guitar with a red-vinyl strap, Iha was out to prove that he wasn't just one of Billy Corgan's bitches. Indeed, Iha isn't just another Pumpkin, he's Karen Carpenter on Valium with really bad hair. His love-lyric tunes drifted innocuously through the room - minus the distortion and long-winded Smashing Pumpkins-signature guitar solos - as he sang about "Jealousy," "Beauty," a girl named "Melissa," and being in love with a "Country Girl." James Iha in love with a country girl?
Nevertheless, there's something charming about Iha. Since he's used to being in the background, he carries a certain stillness or subtlety that isn't simple rock-star aloofness. In fact, he is strangely reminiscent of Kurt Cobain, a musician who rarely showed much excitement during a show, even during the most intense songs.
Despite the lack of variety, Iha was as entertaining as his super-relaxed persona would allow. The 13-song, hour-long musical stupor could have been fatal (with lines like "Do you see beauty, do you see love, do you see anything at all?"), had it not been for the band's sense of humor. As Iha and his band eased into "The Sound of Love," the room exploded with a blast of feedback or some heart-attack-inducing technical screw-up. Iha handled it like he handles MTV interviews - sleepy non-chalance on the verge of catatonia. When the interference became too much to ignore, Iha stopped, leaned into the microphone, and said with a mock-beg-your-pardon, "Pardon me." Then he turned to the engineer and said very casually, "Mr. Sound Man, what was that?" There was a pause from the darkness. Then the back-up guitarist quickly answered, "The sound of love," to which the equally mellow audience fell apart laughing. When the sound guys finally fixed the problem, Iha suggested, "I have power guys, but I have no control."
At the end, he thanked the audience and disappeared into the crowd as he made his way back to the VIP room. Following suit, the show-goers filed out politely. Aside from the so-so music and the oh-so-touching lyrics, James Iha is cute. and sometimes, that's all that matters. - Claudine Ko Daily Music