The first ever documentary on the legendary Frank Zappa will be released in North America on all video-on-demand platforms on Friday, November 27. The crowd-funded project is a deep dive into Zappa’s life and music. Watch the highly anticipated trailer, below.
The film synopsis, courtesy of Magnolia Pictures, notes that there has not yet been a film about the life and times of maverick musician Frank Zappa. Director Alex Winter (Bill from the Bill and Ted trilogy) and his team have crafted the film. The documentary includes over 1,000 hours of mostly unseen material from Frank Zappa’s personal vault. Zappa is an expansive and intimate portrait of the extraordinary artist. Fully engaged with the turbulent politics of his day, Zappa is poignant to the current political climate.
Early reviews are quite positive, with Peter Keough of The Boston Globe saying “Zappa will immerse you in the mind of a genius, and you may never be the same again,” and David Fricke calling Zappa “Vital, compelling, and rip-roaring entertainment!”
Winter is a talented filmmaker, which includes: Downloaded, Deep Web, The Panama Papers and Showbiz Kids. This definitive documentary is the first to have approval and cooperation of the Zappa estate. Fans will get an exclusive look. The life of an innovative artist and musician is viewed through unfettered access into the Zappa family trust.
An impressive score combines Frank’s well known songs and his later classical compositions. Zappa’s life is comprehensively chronicled. The film also looks at areas where Zappa left a lasting mark, including his political involvement as an advocate against music censorship that led him to Congress.
Watch Frank Zappa in Congress
Zappa includes appearances by Frank’s widow Gail Zappa, and a number of musicians who collaborated with Frank throughout his career. Among them are Mike Keneally, Ian Underwood, Steve Vai, Pamela Des Barres, Bunk Gardner, David Harrington, Scott Thunes, Ruth Underwood, Ray White and many more. The film premiered this year at the Camden and Montclair Film Festivals.
In preparation for a new EP in 2021, Brooklyn group Fake Dad have released a new single to close out the year. Andrea de Varona and Josh Ford found inspiration for their single “Breakfast in New York,” from a very interesting and unusual source.
The song is a mid-tempo electronic/R&B track, inspired by a knock off Jurassic Park ride in the middle country. “Fake Dad” used that exact backdrop for another music video, bringing a new inspiration to the duo. When de Varona and Ford wrote the song, they were fixated on the idea that the things we wish we could change is exactly what make our lives meaningful.
The Brooklyn duo, Andrea de Varona and Josh Ford, have made music in their tiny studio apartment since 2018. The duo had designated their roles within the band and have worked with a variety of up and coming artists. Andrea and Josh come from different musical backgrounds, but they do share a common goal. That goal is to create something that understands the listener. Both Andrea and Josh wanted to create music that comforted people, especially if the listener had a rough day in life.
“Fake Dad” has received many plaudits from media outlets. The Wild Honey Pie wrote, “Fake Dad take listeners on a trip down memory lane — but it feels closer to a cautionary tale than a fond retelling.”
EARMILK felt “Fake Dad” knew how to express their concepts with their single “Summer Hill.” EARMILK wrote “I tend to reject the saying, “Life is hard.” Not because it is not, but because it glosses over the very real hardships and struggles that so many of us face, tying it up with a bow in just three short words. I do not want to gloss over it. I want to dig deep and uncover what makes the simple act of existing so challenging for all of us. Fake Dad, comprised of Andrea de Varona and Josh Ford, sonically and visually conceptualize all of these ideas.”
“Fake Dad” looks to comfort and share their conceptual ideas with listeners, and their new single will surely do that. “Breakfast in New York” is out now on Spotify. To check out more of “Fake Dad” and their work, visit their Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, or Instagram page.
Fallen Brooklyn drill rapper-turned-superstar Pop Smoke had a career that was as short as it was promising. The slain rapper’s posthumous debut album — Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon— not only debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 (being certified platinum only one month after its release), but also accomplished the rare feat of having all 19 of its tracks simultaneously chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Spawning four RIAA certified platinum singles in “Mood Swings,” “For The Night,” “The Woo” and “Dior.”
The Canarsie, Brooklyn bred artist — whose death at only 20-years-old on February, 19 resulting from a botched robbery— was justly honored at the 2020 BET Hip Hop Awards. Migos stalwart, Quavo, led the tributes with a two-song performance of collaborations he shared with the late rapper. Beginning with “Shake the Room” off of Pop Smoke’s first project of 2020, Meet the Woo 2 and following up with “Aim for the Moon,” from his latest LP.
With adjustments made for COVID-19, the Atlanta emcee performed his portion of the records in a music video style setting, being placed in a white, futuristic, space-themed room, while images of the perished neophyte and his lyrics appeared in the background.
Despite no longer being among us, Pop Smoke’s presence in popular culture is unwavering, with the “Welcome to the Party” rapper also being awarded best new Hip Hop artist in his lone nomination of the night.
The success of his latest project has also proven to be a legacy booster as Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, recently reclaimed the top spot on the Billboard 200, three-months after its original release. And with a new music video for “Aim for the Moon” recently shared, it’s clear that new content for Pop Smoke is still in the works.
On December 6 at 7 p.m., KeyBank is presenting the second annual Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards. The show was originally scheduled for April 14 at Proctors in Schenectady, but was cancelled due to COVID-19. The new event will be broadcast live from Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs through Collaborative Studios’ Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Apple TV apps.
NYS Music is honored to be nominated for Art Publication of The Year, along with the numerous other creatives from the local music community, including two photographers who started out with NYS Music, Dave DeCrescente and Frankie Cavone.
The broadcast will be shot on a closed set with about 45 cast and crew members, but will also feature four performances. Additionally, four panels that will discuss the year in local music and how music making has shifted during the pandemic. The winners in 34 categories will be announced in between panel segments.
Nominations were announced in February in 34 categories. Roughly 100 representatives of the local music industry participated in judging. “We had a pretty intensive process last winter where we discussed artists, 2019 music and music video releases, as well as venues and other organizations involved in music creation and performance,” Jim Murphy, Eddies co-founder said. “Hundreds of individuals , groups, venues and companies were considered, as many as 35 or more in some categories.”
“We’ll take considerable safety precautions,” said Sal Prizio, Eddies co-founder. “This will be a bit of a three-ring circus. Five cameras. Twenty-four panelists rotating in groups of six. And four musical performances on the stage. We’re packing a lot into a 100-minute, commercial free broadcast.”
“We’re doing everything possible to make this broadcast a special evening,” Murphy said. “We encourage everyone to view this live, to celebrate in their living rooms, studios or wherever they prefer to gather safely. May we all get together in 2021!”
Musical acts and other participants in the 2020 Eddies Music Awards Show will be announced closer to the broadcast.
NYIVA, also known as the New York Independent Venue Association, released data on the dire state of independent live venues throughout New York due to COVID-19. The information was released on October 25, 2020 and includes how many respondents, the amount of months before business will be forced to close permanently, the monthly relief needed, and the amount of debt accrued by them already.
The information is based on responses from NYIVA’s members comprising a majority of the music and comedy venues within the state. Currently, independent venues across New York State have accrued and estimated $105 million in debt at a rate of $15 million per month. Of the 68 respondents (representing approximately 1/3 of the industry), more than half have stated they will close for good within the next 90 days, even with the state’s eviction moratorium in place due to the pandemic.
Three of the 68 respondents say they will be forced to close in less than a month. One says they will be forced to close in a month. 18 say they will be forced to close within two months. 15 will be forced to close within three months. Six will be forced to close within four months. The respondents would need $5,155,015 monthly to stay afloat. They are currently in $20,073,835 of debt due to the pandemic.
NYIVA’s co-chair Jen Lyon explains the difficulties businesses will having trying to come back with the amount of debt they have accrued saying, “Paying this back, even without interest, will eat into most if not all of our members’ businesses profits for the next five years — and that’s if they aren’t forced by the weight of their debt to fold before that. New York stands on the precipice of losing the critical cultural and economic institutions that make up our vibrant live performance communities as well as significant tourism revenue for the state. This is not sustainable. We need help now.”
New York state has received $5 billion in Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) from March 30 till now. Currently New York independent venues are looking for a mere 1.5% ($75 million) of the state CRF allocation to save New York’s music and comedy clubs in order to stay afloat until a national aid package is passed. Independent venues haven’t received nearly as much aid as they need to stay afloat. Hopefully the CARES act with the addition of Save Our Stages will be passed soon and help protect independent venues from shutting down.
For more information on the survey details visit NYIVA’s website.
In the fall of 1998, Phish had just released Story of the Ghost, and were just about to start their cross-country Fall Tour, which included not one but two shows covering full albums by The Velvet Underground and Pink Floyd. Before diving into the tour, they’d pay a visit to David Letterman at the Ed Sullivan Theater on October 27, 1998, for the fourth time, performing “Birds of a Feather.”
via just-add-cones.blogspot.com
While Fall Tour started proper on October 29, 1998, Phish had a few performances under their belt already that month. Playing at Farm Aid in Tinley Park, IL and Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit in Mountain View, CA, the band returned back east for a week of respite before a 30 day/22 show tour.
Poster for Louis Arzonico
Following guests Martin Short and Eddie Izzard, Phish served as musical guest that evening, performing the second track off Story of the Ghost, “Birds of a Feather.” Being their fourth time on the show, Letterman introduced the band noting they had their own book (The Phish Book) in addition to their new album.
The less than four minute version of “Birds of a Feather” has a lively audience celebrating not only the introduction of the band, but audibly so when the song breaks into a section where, in a live show environment, the band would venture off into exploring the arena rocker.
Following the performance, Letterman shakes hands with drummer Jon Fishman and says “Its Phish, kids!” The band would not return to the Ed Sullivan Theater until May of 2000, ahead of the release of Farmhouse.
Other individual song performances on Letterman include “Chalkdust Torture” on December 30, 1994, “Julius” on July 13, 1995, “Character Zero” on March 5, 1997, “Heavy Things” on May 15, 2000, “All of These Dreams” on December 19, 2002, a multi-song performance on the Ed Sullivan Theater marquee on June 21, 2004, and “The Line” on June 25, 2014.
Buffalo jam stars moe. took to the stage in Yarmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod this past weekend for the middle two nights of their four-night New England run. Nearly seven months have passed since their last pre-Covid performance in Atlantic City, with a planned pair of drive-in shows in upstate New York unexpectedly cancelled mere days before the performance. It was clear early on that moe. was eager to shake the cobwebs off and play for a live audience.
The Yarmouth Drive-In, though spacious and very well organized, has the drawback of lacking a PA system, which seemed to sway some of the opinions of prospective attendees in the weeks leading up to the show. The venue used an FM transmitter to deliver sound to the patrons, who either used battery-powered radios or their own car radios to dance in their private cordoned-off suites.
In a few instances, moe. fans at Yarmouth were seen lugging in their own PA systems, which they would mic up to a radio and supply loud, clean sound to their neighbors. Security was ever-present, making sure people were following the mask mandate and other safety protocols, while maintaining a friendly rapport with the fans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuJHhNPCkAY
On night one, the boys took the stage promptly at 7 o’clock and opened with a speedy and energetic “Threw it all Away,” with their anthemic “Plane Crash” following close on its heels. Then, moe. went into some exploratory territory with “Skrunk,” featuring some pedalboard experimentation from guitarist Chuck Garvey (one fan described the computerized, robotic shredding as “connecting us to AOL” in a Facebook post.) He would return to use the effect sparingly throughout the two-night run, but brought it to the forefront here. They left “Skrunk” in the dust with a long, patient and smooth transition into their jam vehicle “Time Ed,” which is around the time the sound crew really dialed in bassist Rob Derhak’s vocals. They kept the energy high with “Akimbo,” segued into one of the new album’s songs, “Who You Callin’ Scared” and then closed out the first set of the weekend with Al’s ode to his late father, the epic two-parter “Downward Facing Dog.”
Set two opened with a drawn-out intro to the new track “Along For The Ride,” a protest song complete with E-drums and a funky bassline, which seems to be getting its feet under it more and more each time it’s played. This abruptly led into Annihilation Blues, a short and sweet rock tune from the No Guts, No Glory album, which took a surprising turn and featured a long, inventive outro jam that slowly morphed into the crowd-pleasing “Bring It Back Home.” “Mar De Ma,” Vinny’s instrumental number, led flawlessly into the iconic bassline of “Billy Goat” in yet another creative segue. They finished the second set with a pair of songs penned by guitarist Al Schnier, the history-inspired “Puebla” and the dark, heavy, strange fantasy tale that is “Bearsong” with an Iron Butterfly homage in between for the classic rock buffs in the crowd. For their encore (after a chorus of cheers and honking horns) moe. returned to the stage for a rendition of the triumphant “Happy Hour Hero” before bidding the crowd farewell for the night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2naJUN5jYQ
While Night 1 had a creative setlist and some truly inspired segueways and jams, Night 2 showed a relentless side of moe. that can only emerge from months of quarantine. Nearly every single song transitioned into the next, either in the “no huddle” style of immediately diving into the next song, or with a long improvised jam that keeps the audience guessing, with only a single break between songs that occurred near the end of the first set. After opening with their flagship song, “Rebubula,” moe. played the traditional pairing of “Not Coming Down” and “Wormwood,” which bled into their first cover of the weekend, Pink Floyd’s rousing “Fearless” and then the reflective “Deep This Time.”
At this point, moe. stopped playing (for the only time the entire show) and Rob addressed the crowd with a brief speech in which he thanked the crowd for being there, expressing his solidarity. Shortly after, he plucked the opening notes of the Bush-era protest song “George” and the Yarmouth Drive-In briefly turned into a disco dance lot.
After a half hour set break, the temperature was dropping and occasional bursts of wind chilled the air. As some of the patrons added some extra layers and poured themselves another drink, moe. retook the stage for a fully segued set that deftly wove old classics and new additions to the moe. repertoire. Al started the set with a slow, bluesy lick, while the introduction to “Moth” was slowly solidified by his bandmates. “Moth” was left unfinished as they steered the soaring, uplifting “Moth” jam into the slap-happy, bass-heavy “LL3,” a new song written by Rob Derhak about his battle with oropharyngeal cancer. This version was livelier and heavier than previous versions, growing more and more energetic with each subsequent performance. They smoothly brought the tempo down and started teasing the harmonic intro of “Lazarus.” The song that has changed arrangements several times in the last decade and seems to have finally transformed back into the monstrous jam vehicle it once was.
They chased “Lazarus” with the mammoth instrumental “McBain,” which featured an expected “Walking On the Moon” tease (The Police) and a somewhat more predictable “Crosseyed and Painless” tease (Talking Heads) which has become a staple of performances of “McBain.” This was followed by another “no huddle,” this time into the Who’s classic hit “Pinball Wizard,” which has only been played seven times ever. Throwing yet another curveball our way, rather than ending “Pinball Wizard” and starting a new song to finish the set, moe. played a ripping, boisterous segue into the unfinished “Moth,” for one final singalong to close out the set. After a brief reading of the “al.nouncements,” they played a quick “Seat of my Pants” and “no huddled” once more into the bouncy, absurdist “Sensory Deprivation Bank” before finally calling it a night.
Despite the lack of PA and the safety restrictions due to the pandemic, moe. made the best of an unfortunate situation and delivered two powerhouse performances that would please the most devoted fans and casual attendees alike. Hopefully they will continue playing shows with this model for as long as it’s necessary. The fans seemed respectful of the rules for the most part, the Yarmouth Drive-In seemed to have peoples’ safety in mind, and the band seemed overjoyed to be back on stage.
Over four days in late October, 1979, Bob Marley and The Wailers performed seven shows at the legendary Apollo Theater, marking the first ever reggae performances at the recently reopened Harlem venue. The shows, beginning on October 25 and ending October 28, would add to the rich history of the Apollo and connect Marley with the one-time home of fellow Jamiacan, Marcus Garvey.
The shows at the Apollo were the third stop on his Survival tour, which had kicked off on October 21 in Boston at Harvard Stadium with Stevie Wonder. A day later, Marley and The Wailers would perform at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Performing in Harlem was designed to broaden his reach to a demographic that had not yet tuned into his music, Black Americans. Dennis Thompson, one of four audio engineers and sound technicians working with Marley on these shows told the Jamaica Observer.
Bob wanted to reach the African-American people and he liked the idea of an intimate setting, and the Apollo had it. Survival related to the struggles and oppression of people; Bob once said to me, how great it would be if there could be a United States of Africa, so these concerts were very important to him.”
Dennis Thompson
The album Survival still stands as one of Marley’s most politically charged albums, featuring anthems “Africa Unite” and “Zimbabwe,” the latter celebrating the fall of the white supremacist regime in Rhodesia.
A mixed audience of African Americans, West Indians and whites was reported by Clinton Lindsay, a Jamaican student at the New York Institute of Technology. In covering the shows for college newspaper, Scope, he noted
“The show on the Saturday night was the best, it was sold out and had the best vibes. The opening show was also sold-out and had lots of major stars attending. Each show, although the set list might have been the same, were never alike. Each had its own identity.
Clinton Lindsay
Part of the reason Marley sought to perform in Harlem was due to the connection of Marcus Garvey to the neighborhood. Garvey was a Jamaican-born writer and speaker in the early 20th century who encouraged the Pan-African movementa, emphasizing unity between African-Americans and their ancestral lands. Garvey would inspire Rastafarians advocating for Pan-Africanism. Marley would perform at the Apollo with three backdrops: one of the Ethiopian flag, one of Ethiopian emporer Haile Selassie I, revered by Rastafarians, and one of Garvey, Selassie and guerilla fighters.
The Apollo is an important part of black heritage, I can’t think of any major black international star who hasn’t played there at one point – Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, right from them people there to all the soul stars, everyone. That’s one reason Bob has to play there, to put him in that tradition for people to understand.
The lineup for the Apollo residency included Bob Marley on vocals and rhythm guitar, Aston Barrett (bass), Carlton Barrett (drums), Junior Marvin (lead guitar), Al Anderson (lead guitar), Tyrone Downie (keyboards), Earl “Wya” Lindo (organ), Alvin “Seeco” Patterson (percussion), Devon Evans (percussion), Glen DaCosta (saxophone), Dave Madden (trumpet) and The I-Threes (backing vocals).
A first hand experience from the show, shared with Marley Arkives, gives insight into the audience reaction to the peformances.
“Concerning the Bob Marley concert at the Apollo….there were three shows, in three days….and I made sure I was present for all three…Each show was different…but each unique. The Apollo Theater has 2 balconies…I was in the first balcony …front row center…best seat in the house…I sooo wish at least one of the concerts were on film….Bob rocked the house…so much so, at one point I actually got frightened…at the end of the third and final show…Bob had everyone on their feet singing “Get up Stand up”…of course everyone got up…but it wasn’t until a few minutes into the song that I realized the whole balcony was shaking….literally moving…I kept still to see if it was movement that I was really feeling…sure enough…it was…that’s when I started to hope that the balcony would hold….the balcony was full…even the isles…the Apollo is an old theater…..After the concert , I left feeling fulfilled and exhausted…Bob had taken all my energy…..any time he played NYC I was there….have never been to a concert that could surpass any Bob Marley concert since…….BLESS.”
Opening the shows was Betty Wright, known for “Clean up Woman” and “Tonight is the Night,” singing with a range from disco to soul. The New York Times said of the run of shows:
The theme of Bob Marley’s four-evening stint (Thursday through tomorrow) at Harlem’s newly reopened Apollo Theater is “black survival,” and Mr. Marley’s own survival has been a subject of concern lately. Although he seems to have recovered fully from a shooting incident a couple of years ago in politically turbulent Ja- maica, his reggae nas sounnea ratner pallid on recent albums and his opening‐night performance on Thursday was his first New York City appearance in nearly a year and a half.
While the Times felt that Marley was less energetic, he had begun to use his presence on stage to preach and inspire, with impassioned vocals and an audience that quickly warmed up and threw their energy back at the stage. These historic performances would be among Marley’s last shows in New York, returning the next September to open for The Commodores at Madison Square Garden in September, 1980; it would be one of Marley’s last performances.
On September 21, 1980, Marley would collapse while jogging in Central Park, likely due to malignant melanoma cancer he was diagnosed with three years prior. He would perform one more time, at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, before losing his battle with cancer at age 36.
Setlist – Bob Marley and The Wailer at The Apollo Theater, October 25, 1979
Natural Mystic, Them Belly Full (But We Hungry), I Shot the Sheriff, Concrete Jungle, Ambush in the Night, Ride Natty Ride, Running Away, Crazy Baldhead, Wake Up and Live, One Drop, No Woman, No Cry, Jamming, So Much Trouble in the World, Zimbabwe, Africa Unite, War, No More Trouble
Setlist – Bob Marley and The Wailer at The Apollo Theater, October 28, 1979
Positive Vibration, Wake Up & Live, The Heathen, One Drop, I Shot The Sheriff, Runnin Away, Crazy Baldhead, Zimbabwe, War, No More Trouble, Exodus
Today we celebrate the memory of one of New York’s true musical icons, Lou Reed. Seven years ago today, Reed died from liver disease, leaving behind an incredible library of music that’s been so influential to so many artists. His work with the Velvet Underground as well as his solo efforts continue to enthrall people even today, showing just how timeless his music can be.
Lewis Allan Reed was born on March 2, 1942 in Brooklyn in what is now known as Brookdale Hospital. He spent his youth and formative years growing up in Freeport Long Island in a Jewish household. Lou attended Freeport Junior High School, where his musical career truly began. His doo-wop band The Jades, where he played guitar and contributed backup vocals, was offered studio time for a recording in response to a talent show performance in 1958. This single, “So Blue,” didn’t quite make the charts but it would be Reed’s first ever radio airplay.
Lou would stay in state to further his education at Syracuse University, studying journalism, creating writing and film directing. However, during his first year there, he was brought back home after allegedly having a mental breakdown of sorts. According to his sister, he was “depressed, anxious, and socially unresponsive” for a while. This ultimately led to his parents consenting to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as a treatment option after doctors’ recommendations.
After treatment and recovery, Reed resumed his studies at Syracuse University, even hosting a radio show on WAER called Excursions on a Wobbly Rail. At Syracuse, he would study under the poet Delmore Schwartz, who would be an early mentor for Reed. It was also here that he would meet Velvet Underground guitarist Sterling Morrison for the first time. Morrison was visiting the older brother of eventual Underground drummer Maureen “Moe” Tucker.
Lou Reed plays with his band LA and the Eldorados in front of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity house at Syracuse University
After graduating with a B.A. cum laude in English in 1964, Reed moved to New York City where his career would blossom. As an in-house songwriter for Pickwick Records, it was here that he would meet fellow musician John Cale and form a lifelong partnership of sorts. The two lived together on the Lower East Side and would eventually recruit Reed’s college acquaintance Morrison and Cale’s neighbor Angus MacLise who played drums to form the first iteration of The Velvet Underground. MacLise wound up quitting the band right before their first paid gig and was replaced by Tucker.
Although they never reached commercial stardom or widespread fame at the time, the Velvet Underground would go on to become one of the world’s most influential bands, providing a public image for the bustling New York City underground and alternative rock scene. They would eventually catch the attention of Andy Warhol who would serve as their early manager and quickly instituted them as the house band for his Explosive Plastic Inevitable multimedia events held at his Manhattan studio that was known as the “Factory.”
It was Warhol who would urge the band to hire the German former model and singer Nico. Their debut release, The Velvet Underground & Nico, would only peak at No. 171 on the US Billboard 200. However, Rolling Stone would much later dub it the “most prophetic rock album ever made.” The overall sound was propelled by Reed and Nico’s deadpan vocals, Cale’s droning viola, bass and keyboards, Reed’s experimental avant-garde guitar, Morrison’s often R&B– or country-influenced guitar, and Tucker’s simple but steady and tribal-sounding beat with sparse use of cymbals.
Nico and Warhol soon parted ways with the band with the former quitting and the latter fired by Reed, both against Cale’s wishes. The two co-founders were beginning to butt heads musically as well. Cale favored a more experimental, avant-garde style while Reed was trying to steer the band towards a more pop-driven style. It would result in Reed firing Cale from the Velvet Underground and replacing him with Doug Yule who played keyboards and bass guitar. This new version of the band would only record two more albums: The Velvet Underground in 1969 and Loaded in 1970. Shortly before Loaded‘s release, Reed would quit the band and by the end of 1971, the Velvet Underground was a thing of the past.
The Velvet Underground
Reed then set out on his solo career, signing a recording contract with RCA Records. His first release, Lou Reed, contained some unreleased material that never made it onto Loaded and didn’t receive much attention. This didn’t come until 1972’s incredibly successful Transformer release that was co-produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson. The album’s hit single “Walk on the Wild Side” introduced Reed to a much larger audience and worldwide acclaim. It would peak at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, by far his most commercially successful record. Transformer also features other Lou Reed classics like “Perfect Day” and “Satellite of Love.”
Berlin, his next solo release in 1973, is described as a concept album about two junkies in love in the city. Perhaps uncoincidentally, he also married his first wife Bettye Kronstad this year. Although it appears to be mislabeled as Velvet Underground, check out Lou singing “Berlin” below to a spellbound audience.
Some of his later solo projects would go in a completely different direction. 1975’s Metal Machine Music is an hour’s worth of modulated feedback and electric guitar effects. It was widely panned by critics and seen, by some, as an effort to get out of his contract with RCA. He would later sign on with Arista Records and his first release for them, Rock and Roll Heart in 1976, features “A Sheltered Life,” a song with roots going back to 1967 and the Velvet Underground era.
A live album recorded at The Bottom Line in Greenwich Village titled Live: Take No Prisoners also came out this year with Rolling Stone describing it as “one of the funniest live albums ever recorded,” comparing Reed’s monologues with those of Lenny Bruce. Lou was certainly never afraid to speak his mind and reveal his true feelings, a true New Yorker in that sense.
Throughout the 1980s, Reed would continue to pump out new music and maintain a public persona. He collaborated with guitarists Chuck Hammer and Robert Quine on Growing Up Public (1980) and The Blue Mask (1982), respectively. 1984’s New Sensations even saw Reed back on the charts for the first time in six years. He even played a solo set at the first Farm Aid concert held in Champaign, IL in 1985. The decade would end with another one of his more successful solo efforts, appropriately titled New York, released in 1989. It not only netted him a GRAMMY nomination for best male rock vocal performance, but also served as his public commentary on contemporary issues like AIDS, crime and civil rights.
The 1990s would feature even more solo releases from Reed as well as a brief Velvet Underground reunion. Andy Warhol’s funeral in 1987 would bring John Cale and Reed together for the first time in decades. It would ignite a new collaboration between the two, 1990’s Song For Drella, a song cycle about Warhol. This eventually led to a brief Velvet Underground with one benefit show in France that year and a brief tour of Europe in 1993 that featured a performance at the Glastonbury Festival. Sadly, plans for a North American tour were scrapped after another disagreement between Cale and Reed.
In 1996, the Velvet Underground finally entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with an induction speech given by another musical icon of New York City, Patti Smith. Unfortunately, original guitarist Sterling Morrison passed away the night before the ceremony. Reed, Cale and Smith would later sing “Last Night I Said Goodbye To My Friend” in tribute.
For the rest of his life, Lou Reed continued to find new ways to express himself and grow as an artist. In 2000, he collaborated with Robert Wilson on POEtry. This would lead to a CD release under the same name years later that featured songs written by Reed and spoken-word performances of reworked and rewritten texts of Edgar Allan Poe by actors, set to electronic music composed by Reed. In October of 2001, the New York Times even published a poem of Lou’s titled “Laurie Sadly Listening” that was written in response to the recent 9/11 attacks. He would also go on to release three books of photographs, the second one released in 2006 was titled Lou Reed’s New York.
Reed would also go on to revive his Berlin and Metal Machine Music projects in live settings. He also wound up collaborating with modern day acts like Metallica, Gorillaz and Metric. Unfortunately, health issues caught up to him in 2013 and after a transplant in May, he succumbed to liver disease on October 27. Almost instantly, the outpouring of respect from other musicians began. Bands like Pearl Jam, The Killers, My Morning Jacket and Phish all dedicated either original or cover songs played that evening to the late guitarist’s memory.
Although he may be gone, Lou Reed’s legacy lives on and then some. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this time as a solo artist, with another speech from Patti Smith. Lou Reed: A Life, a biography by Anthony DeCurtis was published in 2017. And an archive of his letters and other personal effects was donated to and can be viewed at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. More importantly, Lou Reed and his extensive musical catalog and stylings continue to influence and inspire new listeners and will continue to do so for the rest of time. Not too shabby for a kid from the city.
The Syracuse Area Music Awards announces dates and criteria for their 2021 award show. The Syracuse Area Music Awards or more commonly known as the Sammys will be taking place on March 5th and will stream free on their website here. The awards show ceremony will stream live from SubCat Studios and will include musical performances by area artists and bands.
The Sammys was first held back at the Landmark Theater in 1993. The Sammys award show has become the number one local music award event in the Central New York Area over the years. SubCat Studios was founded back in 2001 as a DIY project studio in Skaneateles, NY. It now resides in Armory Square in Syracuse, NY and is owned by Ron Keck who has been working with digital recording since 1989. Today the studio is known for it’s high-quality studio recording, remote recording, audio mixing and mastering.
There will be a number of awards that will be presented this year. There will be 12 recording categories, there will be 4 People’s Choice awards categories, the Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist, the Jack O. Bocchino Spirit of the Sammys Award, and the Community Spirit Award.
Submission rules will be a little different this year starting with all artist recorded submissions be accepted online only. Recorded submissions will begin December 1, 2020. Furthermore each artist must select one category they wish to be judged in and their recorded work can only consist of commercially released albums or EPs, released between January 1 – December 31, 2020 by artists in the Syracuse area are eligible. All entries must be available on Apple Music, Spotify or Tidal. No physical recordings will be accepted. Categories subject to change at the discretion of the judges. Entry form will be available here and must be submitted by January 6, 2021.
There are a lot of supporting sponsors of the awards show for 2021. The sponsored include: The Rebel Rocks, Bridge Street, SubCat Music Studios, CNY Alive!, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, KMASE Productions, Joshua Johnson Design, Skinner & Associates Realty, American Vintage Productions, NYS Music, News Channel 9, 95X, 93Q, and 92.1 The WOLF, and 315 Music.
For more information visit the Syracuse Area Music Awards website.
