| James Iha on Tour ; Compares SP and APC |
| November 17, 2003, 11:00 pm |
Source: The Post - Standard A PERFECT CIRCLE TAKES TURN IN SYRACUSE ; FORMER SMASHING PUMPKINS GUITARIST JAMES IHA JOINS THE HARD ROCKERS FOR THE TOUR.; [Final Edition] Mark Bialczak Staff writer. The Post - Standard. Syracuse, N.Y.: Nov 18, 2003. pg. E.3 Abstract (Document Summary) So, Mr. [JAMES IHA], what are the differences between playing with A Perfect Circle and Smashing Pumpkins? Pleased, too. A Perfect Circle had been on some of the same shows as Smashing Pumpkins, so Iha knew the guys. Iha hopes he'll be involved in the future recording of A Perfect Circle's third studio disc. He realizes that [Maynard James Keenan] figures to return to work with Tool first. Full Text (615 words) Copyright Syracuse Newspapers, Inc. Nov 18, 2003 James Iha promised to stick to the details. "I won't make small talk like our road manager," the guitarist for A Perfect Circle said from his hotel room in Knoxville, Tenn. "Just ask me what you need to know." Mary Jo Spillane could be excused for the momentary chit-chat before handing the phone off to Iha. After all, she's excited about coming back for her first show at the Onondaga County War Memorial since her visit with Korn and Ozzy Osbourne in 1998. And the Syracuse native was eager to give her opinion about how the tour for hard rockers A Perfect Circle is going so far, too. "It's been great. They really rock," Spillane says. When A Perfect Circle visits the War Memorial on Thursday night with opener Year of the Rabbit, hard-rock fans will get the chance to hear a real, live supergroup for the 2000s. A Perfect Circle was put together four years ago as a side project by Tool front man Maynard James Keenan and guitarist Billy Howerdel. This year's version includes former Marilyn Manson bassist Twiggy Ramirez and returning drummer Josh Freese, who played for The Vandals and Paul Westerberg. Add to that Iha, the guitarist for the late, great Smashing Pumpkins, and you've got a fine hard-rock pedigree. So, Mr. Iha, what are the differences between playing with A Perfect Circle and Smashing Pumpkins? "Different people. Different songs. Different fans," Iha says. Wow. When he says he'll stick to program, he means business. Similarities, then? "They're both dynamic. They're both heavy and light. Dark and light. Loud and soft. Good drummers. Good songwriting," he says. OK. So compare vocalists Keenan and Billy Corgan. "They're totally different singers," Iha says. "They both have a vision, I guess. And they're both cool." Iha says he was thrilled to get the call from Keenan to join the band. Actually, he says, his invitation came in the form of a June e- mail from Howerdel. "Surprised? Definitely," Iha says. Pleased, too. A Perfect Circle had been on some of the same shows as Smashing Pumpkins, so Iha knew the guys. "It seemed like a good thing," he says. His new band mates gave him the music from A Perfect Circle's two discs, "Mer de Noms" and this year's "Thirteenth Step." "They're great songs. It's fun to play big rock shows again," Iha says. Iha hopes he'll be involved in the future recording of A Perfect Circle's third studio disc. He realizes that Keenan figures to return to work with Tool first. "Hopefully, this lineup will do a record. The chemistry is good. It would be a super cool record," Iha says. Iha knows a thing or two about cool. Corgan got Smashing Pumpkins together in Chicago in 1988. Then they had a dozen-year run as one of the most popular alternative rock bands in the world. After Corgan disbanded the Pumpkins in December 2000, Iha started his own record label and recording studio in Manhattan. "You have to do stuff. I was in a band for 12 years, then I had nothing to do," Iha says. Scratchie Records currently has The Sounders, a new-wave band from Sweden, on its roster. "I played sax on one of their songs," Iha says. With A Perfect Circle, he'll stick to his guitar parts. "It's big, theatrical, loud," Iha says of the show. "We're doing songs from both records. And it sounds really good." The details What: A Perfect Circle in concert. Year of the Rabbit opens. When: 8 p.m. Thursday. Where: Onondaga County War Memorial, State and Harrison streets, Syracuse. Tickets: $28.50, available at Oncenter box office, TicketMaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com, and by phone charge at 472-0700. Credit: Mark Bialczak |