The “Godfather of Punk,” Iggy Pop, surprised fans at Portland’s Project Pabst music festival by performing “Punkrocker” live for the very first time, nearly two decades after its original release. The track recently exploded in popularity on platforms like TikTok after being featured in James Gunn’s hit DC Studios Superman film.
“Punkrocker” had never appeared in Iggy’s live performances, until now. He closed his 20-song festival set with the unexpected debut, to the crowd’s delight.
Iggy’s performance featured a 20-song set that includes his iconic tracks like “The Passenger” and “Lust for Life.” Just a week earlier, the singer had commented on the song’s renewed prominence following its use in the film, saying, “Superman is the best friend you could have.”
In an interview with Rolling Stone this past month, Gunn revealed that he discovered the song through Spotify’s algorithm and felt it resonated with his new take on the Man of Steel and the film’s themes, such as kindness being a form of rebellion.
In Superman, the song plays as a thematic send-off that ties into the final scene and echoes the film’s core message: “Maybe kindness is the real punk rock,” a line delivered by David Corenswet’s Superman to Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane in a heartwarming moment earlier in the film.
Originally released by Teddybears in 2000, “Punkrocker” was re-recorded with Iggy Pop for their 2006 album Soft Machine, becoming a cult favorite that never quite broke into the mainstream, until now.
Listen to “Punkrocker” by Teddybears and Iggy Pop below: