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Lou Reed & Moby @ FADER Fort, SXSW 2008 (Nathan Malone)

SXSW's keynote speaker wasn't scheduled to play this week, save in spirit at a multi-artist Lou Reed tribute on Thursday at the Levis/Fader Fort. Among the many highlights was a set from singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur, who did a slow, woozy ''Pale Blue Eyes'' (while wearing a pale blue suit) and turned ''Venus in Furs'' into a bluesy Dust Bowl ballad. Thurston Moore tore through the recently-rediscovered Velvet Underground song ''I'm Not a Young Man Anymore'' with the New Wave Bandits, a kick-ass, co-ed band which was not Sonic Youth. The tribute seemed headed for an anticlimactic finale with Moby's anemic ''Femme Fatale'' -- but then Reed himself turned up out of thin air, guitar in hand. (Of all sets to guest on!) Together, he, Moby, and crew rolled through a soft, gorgeous, strummy/droney rework of ''Take a Walk on the Wild Side.'' Before leaving the stage, Reed shared some parting wisdom with the crowd: ''I love punk rock. And I was the first one!'' At least, that's what it sounded like he was saying over the house's ecstatic roar. [EW]
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That must have been great to see....unless you are from NYC where Lou Reed and Moby appearances are almost as common as walking by a Starbucks.
Posted by Anonymous | March 17, 2008 12:08 PM
Lou Reed is going on tour and he will be playing the highline ballroom on May 5. Pretty sweet stuff.
Posted by Anonymous | March 17, 2008 12:18 PM
'Said hey babe, take a walk on the... lower east 'side and be sure to stop by TeaNY to grab a treat!
Posted by greg | March 17, 2008 1:06 PM
the tribute show was great - all the way around. nearly all performers were fantastic (including yo la tengo, thurston moore, mmj) -- and especially lou!
Posted by lb | March 17, 2008 1:24 PM
moby doesn't own teany anymore right?
Posted by Anonymous | March 17, 2008 4:08 PM
i think he's relegated all of it over to his partner/friend. so he can spend more time DJ'ing and doing coke. fuck, who can blame him.
Posted by Anonymous | March 18, 2008 8:05 PM