John Varvatos Welcomes Ian Hunter

Contest and Promotions

It Happened Last Night

NEW YORK: Former glam rocker debuts new tracks in the Big Apple.

By Spin Staff 04.26.07 3:00 AM

After 12 solo albums and five decades in the rock'n'roll trenches, Ian Hunter still has style to spare. The singer/songwriter, best known as singer of '70s glamazons Mott the Hoople, celebrated the release of his newest solo album, Shrunken Heads (out May 15 on Yep Roc), with a cheerful and incisive performance at the John Varvatos men's boutique in Soho last night (April 25). And amid the sleek, elbow-to-elbow crowd and endless hors d'oeuvres, one man in particular was ready to rock.

"I remember seeing Mott the Hoople in concert when I was fifteen," Varvatos told SPIN.com. "This is very strange for me." Varvatos later urged the crowd, "Get your asses closer to the stage!" in a moment quite dissonant from the chic surroundings.

Hunter, with James Mastro on guitar and Steve Holley on drums, performed five songs, including three new tracks -- the morose, bluesy "Shrunken Heads," the poetic and hopeful "When World Was Round" and the country-pop shuffle "Words (Big Mouth)." Wisely, he closed with "All the Young Dudes," Mott the Hoople's 1972 smash co-written by David Bowie. And though most of the crowd sang along exuberantly, Hunter later found the moment bittersweet.

"The world isn't the same as when I first wrote songs," he told SPIN.com. "I don't look for a way to create, but it finds me…I'll be going to Spain soon, which I always enjoy. I'll visit Guernica." STACEY ANDERSON / PHOTOS BY TYLER CAMPBELL WRISTON

We asked: Mott the Hoople was a prominent rock band in the '70s. Who is your favorite artist from that decade?

Name: Jenni Lee
Age: 34
Hometown: Hollywood, FL
Occupation: Stylist
"Olivia Newton-John. One word: Xanadu."

Name: Zoe Hennessey
Age: 27
Hometown: Sanibel Island, FL
Occupation: Stylist
"David Bowie, because he's fabulous! He used to collaborate with Mott the Hoople."

Name: Eric Ward
Age: 24
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Occupation: Financial analyst
"The Bee Gees. We used to listen to it in the car on the way to water-skiing."

Name: Emily Bass
Age: 23
Hometown: Greensboro, NC
Occupation: Marketing and promotions coordinator
"Paul Weller and the Jam. They continue to influence people and music."

Name: Dave Cordon
Age: 25
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Business analyst
"Aerosmith. Steven Tyler is the coolest."

Name: Eddie Bilowich
Age: 30
Hometown: New York, NY
Occupation: Model
"The Jackson Five. They were spunky and they brought a new sound."

Name: Ian Hunter
Age: 67
Hometown: Oswestry, Shropshire, UK
Occupation: Singer/songwriter
"Oh, I don't know. I was in the middle of it, I didn't have time to look around!"

Name: John Varvatos
Age: 50
Hometown: Detroit, MI
Occupation: Fashion designer
"The Who was everything rock'n'roll was supposed to be. They were powerful, melodic, energetic, and their songs still hold up today. My favorite is 'Baba O'Riley.'"