Video: Julian Schnabel and Lou Reed in Berlin
- story THE FADER
Released on DVD this week, Julian Schnabel’s Berlin is to concert films as Lou Reed is to aging frontmen. Filmed over five nights in December of 2006, Berlin documents the first time Reed’s maligned album of the same name was performed live in its entirely. While it suffers from the traditional pitfalls of concert films (ubiquitous close-ups of guitar necks, etc), Schnabel manages to add visual flash by cutting away to footage of actress Emmanuel Seigner (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) and vintage Reed in his sinewy, sunglass-donning prime. But the film’s greatest moments come quietly, when the camera holds on Reed as he pushes up his eyeglasses and runs his fingers through wisps of thinning hair. Those are the moments that capture the ephemerality of rock stardom and the permanence of truly honest work—like the film and the album it’s dedicated to.
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posted on Oct 2, 2008 in MUSIC NEWS
Levi’s®/FADER Fort Video: Lou Reed & Friends
- story THE FADER
We’ve already gushed about Lou Reed’s epic tribute at the Levi’s®/FADER Fort where lots of dudes we love (What up Dr. Dog! Hey My Morning Jacket!) covered some epic jams. The finale, which we wrote about here, without really expressing how weird it was to see Moby on stage with Lou Reed. Dudes, WHAT? Did you see that? We guess you probably did, or can above. They KISS! Hot ta def!!
Levi’s®/FADER Fort: Lou Reed & Friends
- story THE FADER
Blah blah blah blah and then Lou Reed played “Walk on the Wild Side” at the Levi’s®/FADER Fort last night. Say what you will about Indie Spring Break in Austin and this week being an industry/hipster boondoggle, but you can’t really argue with the awesomeness (as in awe-inspiring) spectacle of the Lou Reed tribute last night that climaxed with the man himself joining Moby (?) onstage with a full band to hammer out his classic jam, including a monumental guitar freakout and the white girls singing ‘doot doo doot.’ Trust us, we knew this was going to happen, were steeled for it, and still managed to lose our shit and yell LOOUUUUUU after he shuffled offstage.
His appearance came after almost 2 hours of tribute (while he sat stage right) by Yo La Tengo, Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters/Sun Kil Moon), Dr Dog, My Morning Jacket and Thurston Moore & the New Wave Bandits and others playing a Velvet Underground/Lou Reed song or two each. But, despite valiant efforts to do justice, they all kind of got sonned by the 66-year old who is literally morphing into the Yoda of punks, which he acknowledged before leaving the stage by raising his sinewy arms and saying, “I…love…punk…rock…and I was the first one.” Probably so, and he still manages to be the coolest one too. And PS, old music dudes, do not attempt to tribute yourself. Only Lou is allowed to pull that shit.
Stay tuned for the video.
I Am A Bird Now Is A Bird Now
- story THE FADER
Seeing Antony bring the shock ‘n’ awe down on the buddhists at Carnegie Hall last night reminded us that I Am A Bird Now is fully flying off the shelves of your local record store as you read this, and with damn good reason too.
Ant, with beautiful accompaniment, was wedged between a composition by Philip Glass for Dracula and Lou Reed doing “Perfect Day” in a shiny, West-Villy style leather git-up.
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posted on Feb 10, 2005 in MUSIC
