New York Dolls & Black Joe Lewis @ MHOW - pics, setlist

photos by Tim Griffin

"The New York Dolls -- the two original dudes with the good fortune to still be alive, plus three sonically and sartorially like-minded newer recruits to replace those original members who were much less fortunate -- will take no offense if you prefer the thrillingly brash, iconic garage-punk version of "Trash" that appeared on their 1973 self-titled debut to the slowed-down, hammed-up ska remake that graces this spring's Cause I Sez So, their second reunion album, which vacillates between the thrilling garage-punk that made them famous and stranger, more disquieting flights of fancy like, say, doing a ska remake of one of their most famous songs. Tonight they mash both versions together into one unwieldy but energetic beast, our two survivors --cuddly guitarist Sylvain Sylvain and lithe, lascivious Lou Reed/Gumby hybrid frontman David Johansen -- prancing nonchalantly about, the guitars roaring quasi-melodically as usual, and this whole thing continues, against all odds and to their infinite credit, to not feel like a travesty."
[Rob Harvilla @ the Village Voice]

Miami New Times: How did you get on the New York Dolls tour? Did you have any contact with them before?

Black Joes Lewis: I don't know, I have no idea. My manager was like, Y'all wanna do this tour? I don't know if they requested us, or if it was some industry thing they pull with agents around the country. I think it'll go good because I'm a big fan of the 1970s punk rock stuff, like the Dead Boys, and the Stooges, Radio Birdman, that kind of shit. I love that music. A lot of my guitar playing is based loosely on those styles.