Lou Reed in Northampton, MA

[Mrs. Peel]

My Pictures

 

 

I'm stealing a review from a local paper because it's more accurate than I would have been.

 

Review: Lou Reed at the Calvin

By

Eric R. Danton

 

 

"I have a BA in dope," Lou Reed boasted dryly last month at the South by Southwest music festival in Texas. "But a PhD in soul."

 

The one-time Velvet Underground leader alluded to the former and left no doubt about the latter Sunday night at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton, where he performed an eclectic set of mostly lesser-known songs spanning his lengthy and influential career.

Although Reed has a reputation as something of a cranky contrarian, he seemed like he was in a good mood for the second night of his spring tour. He even cracked a smile or two -- once as he clapped out the beat to correct arrhythmic accompaniment in the audience.

 

In fact, Reed is quite a conductor. He spent much of the show issuing instructions via hand signals to his band: cymbal crash here (and there and there), guitar solo there; lay back, play louder. And he sang with passion that belied his deadpan, curmudgeonly exterior: Underneath his rock 'n' roll cool and the detached, often icy decadence of his best-known work, Reed is an artist striving to make sense of life and love.

 

He reveled in the pain of broken romance over a faintly jazzy guitar vamp on "Ecstasy," and wallowed in self-reproach on the philanderer's lament "Mad," an electric piano vamp threading its way through growling guitar and Reed's laconic voice.

 

"Sweet Jane," an outright classic, got the most applause of the night when Reed launched into the iconic guitar riff that drives it, and he demonstrated his continued pop cultural cachet with a version of the Velvet Underground's "I'm Sticking With You," which appeared last year in the movie "Juno."

 

"This is how I can afford to play here," Reed cracked by way of introduction.

 

He performed only a dozen songs during his 90 minute set, which meant plenty of room for his ace band to stretch out -- with a lengthy guitar solo from former Alice Cooper guitarist Steve Hunter on "Video Violence," say -- when Reed wasn't immersed in the profusion of lyrics on deceptively jaunty "Halloween Parade" or the philosophical sermonizing on "I Wanna Know (The Pit and the Pendulum)."

 

After ending the main set with "Magic and Loss," he returned to perform "Pale Blue Eyes" for the encore.

 

Sonic Youth guitarist (and Northampton resident) Thurston Moore opened the show, balancing a couple of quick pop tunes with an extended guitar-noise freak-out that drew scattered boos from the audience.

 

Lou Reed's set list

1. Mad

2. Sweet Jane

3. I'm Set Free

4. Ecstasy

5. I'm Sticking With You

6. Power of the Heart

7. I Wanna Know (The Pit and the Pendulum)

8. Halloween Parade

9. Video Violence

10. Guardian Angel

11. Magic and Loss

Encore

12. Pale Blue Eyes

 

We got to our seats just as Thurston Moore was taking a bow, so I didn't know about the booing.

All in all it was a really good show. Lou played a very eclectic mix of songs. The reviewer was correct, he seemed to be in a good mood.

[Analogman]

Didn't he yell at your camera?

 

I'm Sticking With You - odd choice?

[Mrs. Peel]

Why would he yell at my camera?

 

I'm Sticking With You was especially odd since the keyboard player sang it!

[Analogman]

I wonder if he has ever sung New Age.

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

Thanks for posting this. I was wondering how the show was. I really wish I could've come up for it, especially after I found out Thurston Moore was opening.

[Mrs. Peel]

I've seen Thurston do his solo thing before, and although it's "interesting" it definitely wasn't cut out for a formal setting like the Calvin. We heard the last song before we sat down, and it was just feedback and slamming on the guitar. I really like Thurston, and I appreciate what he does, but it wasn't a good fit for a Lou Reed show.

[mountain bed]

Thanks for the post Mrs. Peel. I have to see Lou before I die. He's a hero.

[MrRain422]

I wonder if he has ever sung New Age.

 

He sings it on the Velvet Underground's 1969 Live with Lou Reed album. As far as solo goes, he did it on his 1972 tour pretty frequently. It was also done some in 1975 (though Doug Yule was in his backing band on that tour and I think he actually took the lead on that song sometimes, though not every time). It was back in the set in 1983, but I don't think he's played it since then.

[Analogman]

He sings it on the Velvet Underground's 1969 Live with Lou Reed album. As far as solo goes, he did it on his 1972 tour pretty frequently. It was also done some in 1975 (though Doug Yule was in his backing band on that tour and I think he actually took the lead on that song sometimes, though not every time). It was back in the set in 1983, but I don't think he's played it since then.

 

Thank you - I suppose there is a studio take out there somewhere with Lou singing it? Although, I guess it would have been on the Loaded re-issue if there was one.

[MrRain422]

Yeah, if there's a studio take with Lou singing it, I've never heard it.

 

A good resource for Lou Reed setlists is here. It's not complete -- it only has shows for which a recording exists -- but there are a lot of them there and it's the best one I've found.

[Analogman]

Thanks.