DOWNLOAD: Lou Reed - Perfect Day (Carillon April 30th, 2009) (MP3)

Lou Reed & his Metal Machine (more by Lori Baily)

"Lou Reed's (b. 1942) music written for the Velvet Underground propelled him to rock stardom. His Metal Machine Music, a distorted sound wall of guitar feedback, has been called the precursor to punk. Critical rejection at its first release in 1975 led to a cult-like interest. Ulrich Krieger has accomplished a feat once deemed impossible by transcribing and arranging Metal Machine Music for classical instruments"...

Mark your calendar because that program, "Fireworks Ensemble playing Metal Machine Music", is coming to Columbia's Miller Theatre on Friday, February 5, 2010. Tickets are on sale now.

Ulrich Krieger was 1/3 of the Metal Machine Trio that played the Gramercy Theatre in April. (The others on stage were Sarth Calhoun, Reed himself and special guest John Zorn.) That trio has dates later this year in Europe, which are posted below.

This weekend, Reed is at Lollapalooza in Chicago, where he'll play a "songs" set (if you recall, the Metal Machine shows advertised themselves as "No Songs No Vocals" to curb any suspicion about the program).

Reed recently collaborated with Barenaked Ladies instrumentalist Kevin Hearn on a "song about overfishing the oceans stands out like a sore sea-hugger."

Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle's Havana Winter, released on [July 28th] from Hearn's indie label Celery Music, is nakedly invested in...natural subjects. "Coma," which features Reed on backing vocals and guitar, was inspired by Charles Clover's The End of the Line, an alarming documentary about fishing, technology and extinction. Reed and Hearn use that as a point of departure to also criticize urban sprawl.

Reed plays screeching guitar on three [of the record's] tunes ("Coma," "In The Shade," "H.I.T.S."), while his wife, performance artist Laurie Anderson adds electric violin on "Reeling."

Listen to "Coma" at Wired.

Another track, posted above, is a version of Reed's "Perfect Day," originally released on 1972's Transformer, being played on the Riverside Church carillon (a huge mass of bells and the largest of its kind in the world) last April. Why you ask? Here's the description of the event...

Continue reading "Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music & ensemble show in NYC (tix), Lollapalooza (this weekend), Barenaked Ladies & more"

photos by Lori Baily

"It was good to have this Lou Reed back: not an American Master nor a Legend of Rock, but a barking, brooding, beneficial irritant. On Thursday night at the Blender Theater at Gramercy, onstage between Sarth Calhoun and Ulrich Krieger, two much younger musicians, he was making noise -- improvised, loud, heavily processed, and some of it ugly enough to make people leave.

Not many, though. There were extra-musical reasons to stay put. An emotional reason: he's Lou Reed, poet of New York City, et cetera. And a big intellectual reason: Mr. Reed calls this group Metal Machine Trio, which refers to a notorious double-LP he made in 1975. "Metal Machine Music" is a kind of personality test. Many average listeners, even average Lou Reed fans, heard it as long-winded, discordant feedback." [NY Times]

The above review, and the one posted previously, refer to the Thursday show. The pictures in this post are from the Friday one (4/24) where the trio were also joined by John Zorn. More of them below...

Continue reading "Lou Reed's Metal Machine Trio @ Gramercy Theater - pics"

by Andrew Frisicano

Same Reed, different Apollo

A Great Night in Harlem
May 14, 2009
8pm
Apollo Theater
253 West 125th Street (between 7th & 8th Ave.)
Hosted by Danny Glover, Chevy Chase and Michael Imperioli

Performances include:
Lou Reed • Dr. John • Henry Butler • Irma Thomas • Sweet Georgia Brown • The Frank Foster Band • Gary Brown, The King of Bourbon Street • Bob Cranshaw • Eric Lewis aka ELEW • Dr. Frank Forte • Davell Crawford, The Prince of New Orleans • Alberta Adams, 91-year-old Detroit Blues Queen • Beverly "Guitar" Watkins • Bucky Pizzarelli • Gene Bertoncini • Francesco Pini • John Dee Holeman • Deacon John, Slide Guitar Genius from New Orleans • with over 50 legends and surprises...

Concert-only tickets for this benefit range from $50-$250. To make reservations, call Jazz Foundation at 212-245-3999, Ext 13 or e-mail daryl@jazzfoundation.org.

Lou Reed played the first of two Metal Machine Trio shows at the Gramercy Theatre last night (4/23)...

"No Songs. No Vocals." The stern warning was printed on every ticket to Thursday night's performance of Lou Reed's Metal Machine Trio at the Gramercy Theatre in Manhattan. And besides the occasional moan or grunt from Reed himself, that's exactly what his fans got: an hour and a half of pure, throbbing -- occasionally blissful -- noise. This was no "Sweet Jane."[SPIN]

The second song-less Metal Machine show is tonight (4/24). No official word, but I think it's safe to say the Harlem appearance will include both vocals and songs, even if only a few of them.

Info on what exactly the Jazz Foundation does, below...

Continue reading "Lou Reed played w/ Metal Machine Trio @ Gramercy, playing Jazz Foundation's 20th anniversary benefit @ the Apollo"

We have formed a recording unit Called BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE. We intend to put out different types of my music - from industrial to meditative to songs and all subway stops in between. Our first release is a live recording of 2 great nights live at the REDCAT in L.A. THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE. You can download it at various qualities as per your download taste. We include some pics by me. We will be putting it out as A2X CD soon - CREATE!
--Lou Reed

These two special live concert recordings of non-vocal music featuring Lou on guitar and electronics, Ulrich Krieger on tenor sax and live-electronics, and Sarth Calhoun on live processing and Fingerboard Continuum are available EXCLUSIVELY from THIS website. You can purchase both concerts in a variety of digital and physical formats, including a limited edition Deluxe Package featuring photography by Lou Reed.

Metal Machine Trio (Lou, Ulrich and Sarth) are going to play "A Night Of Deep Noise" at the Blender Theater at Gramercy - actually two nights of deep noise. The April 23rd and 24th shows may be the last ones inside the venue while it still has "Blender" in the name (which I realize is semi-useless information). $50 and $65 tickets go on sale via LiveNation.com on March 14th at 10AM.

You can stream some Metal Machine Trio, below...

Continue reading "Lou Reed is making noise with METAL MACHINE TRIO - playing 2 nights @ Gramercy and/or Blender"