We hear that Lou Reed, past master of kinkiness (with the Velvet Underground), avante ’60s New York artist, looming figure of black leathery campiness, and possessor one of rock and roll’s darkest visages (along with Keith Richards) … is coming to Spoleto. We hear that he’s booked a palatial … well, maybe not palatial, call it presidential … suite at Charleston Place.
This makes total sense. Lou Reed is married to performance artist Laurie Anderson … since last month (congratulations brilliant couple!) and the two have been collaborating musically since they got together in the 1990s.
Lou Reed, with the Velvet Underground, is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Last time I saw him was when he was touring behind the “New York” studio album, or maybe behind “Songs for Drella,” a collaboration with John Cale. Can’t remember.
Anyway, I’ve always loved Lou Reed’s finely crafted tunes that go places other songwriters won’t. Laurie Anderon’s “Homeland” arrives at Spoleto during its world tour June 4-6. We don’t know if Reed is involved in that project. But if you see him around town and you appreciate his career, say hi. We will not link here to the famous Lester Bangs interviews with Lou Reed although we recommend them as being among the funniest rock and roll mashups in music history.
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The central conviction of Charlestonians that the Lowcountry is the center of the known world has a least one nice consequence, in my opinion. We tend to remain calm, cool and collected when we notice celebrities in our hotels, restaurants and grocery stores. One of my favorite stories is a friend who saw Billy Joel in Hank’s Seafood downtown. He was in a baseball cap sitting at the end of the bar enjoying his drink completely unmolested. When he left, no one even noticed … or at least were quite discreet.
Anybody got another tale of celebrity-sighting?
Tim Roth at Meritage … pre “Pulp Fiction.” I think Meritage was called something else then. Sat at the bar and talked to him for a while. Never about the movie he was shooting, however. Just stuff. Waited nearby for Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick to finish dinner before grabbing their booth … oh, wait, that was at a diner called Millie’s in Richmond, Va. No matter. Here’s a strange one: The late poet Allen Ginsburg. Sat next to him at Martha Graham Dance Co. performance at Spoleto in .. what, 1996? My mother sat next to me. They talked. She had no idea who he was. They talked about Martha Graham.
I heart Lou Reed…and used to run into him in New York. Why is it celebrities are writ so small in real life? Why do we enlarge them from afar? Anyway…am loving Spoletotoday coverage. Loads of insight.