Tag: David Bowie

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Opinion The Last Word

Dear God … Why Prince?

CREDIT: Mark Milstein | Dreamstime.com

Dear, God …

No, I’m not just saying “Dear, God” to be saying it. I’m writing an open letter. So here goes.

Dear, God, at this point I’m just pissed off. If you are indeed real, are you the one running this universe? Are you the one aligning or misaligning the planets? Are you the one who let Merle Haggard and David Bowie both die earlier this year — on their birthdays, no less? And now Prince? PRINCE? At age 57?

Mark Milstein | Dreamstime.com

Prince

What in God’s name (Oops! Sorry!) were you thinking? Have you lost your mind? I know you have that giveth and taketh away thing going, but really? Prince at 57? I think you can do better. My best friend cried for two solid days about Prince. Are you happy you made her do that? This is one of those losses — like John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and John John Kennedy — that will make us all remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news. I, for one, was having my brain examined in a workshop with my coworkers. You don’t want to know the results. And learning that Prince had just died didn’t help matters at all.

Why don’t you take out someone whom we’d be better off without, like Ted Cruz? Take that idiot now, and give us back Prince. Hell, (Oops! Sorry again!), take Tom Cruise. Take him and all the rest of the Scientologists. We don’t need them.

Mark Milstein | Dreamstime.com

Prince

Oh, dear. I can hear my phone ringing and email pinging now. The last time I mentioned the Scientologists, just in passing, their public relations person at the celebrity center in Nashville contacted me. Apparently, someone in Collierville (Collierville!) turned me in. Who would have thought there were Scientologists in Collierville?

She was all unnerved because I made a crack about them and told me I should call her if I wanted to find out what Scientology was really all about. So I told her, “Look, I had to deal with you people for years when Isaac Hayes was still alive, and you people are freaks. Don’t try giving me the runaround, because I know you, and not one of you is able to explain this without lying through your teeth.”

I don’t think she was too thrilled. I wonder if that’s why I found a dead rat in my bedroom the other morning. No, that was a gift from my tomcat, who also knocked over my flat-screen television (I finally got one!) the other day and caused me to crack a rib trying to catch it before it hit the floor. So now I have a torn intercostal muscle in one side of my ribs and a cracked rib on the other side. AND I have a spider bite on my arm. I’m falling apart. I have high blood pressure, low blood sugar, tendinitis, sinusitis, carpal and ulnar tunnel in my wrists, arthritis, vertigo while driving, degenerative disc disease, horrible allergies, dry eye syndrome, acid reflux, anxiety disorder, and a cyst the size of a fig on my elbow. But at least I have a tomcat!

I also have a handwritten letter on my office wall from former United States ambassador to Germany, Philip D. Murphy, which opens with the salutation, “Dear TimCat.” I kid you not. It ends with the line, “You make me so proud to be an American!” Yes, he underlined it. Can you believe that? He wrote me the letter (by hand!) a few years ago after I took some Stax Music Academy students to Berlin to perform for him and a lot of other people, AND he cried after they performed. So there.

But back to my open letter to God about Prince. Why would you take such a sweet, handsome, fashionable, shy musical genius from us and let all of these terrorists and Republicans stick around to drive us nuts? Is this some kind of a bizarre test? Why not take Donald Trump? Good Lord (Oops! Sorry again!). You’re going to let someone with that hair stay alive and take Prince away from us? Have you even heard “When Doves Cry”? Well, the doves are sobbing their guts out now, so thanks for nothing.

Why not take Marie Osmond, the most frightening person ever to walk this insane planet? Oh, wait. You may have created this planet. Sorry. But if you did, you could still do better. Look at Houston. All flooded. Oh, sorry. There’s no flooding anymore; it’s “ponding.” When did flooding become “ponding”?

ARE YOU UP THERE? If you are, what are you doing? Deciding which genius musician to take out next? We not only want Prince back, but we also want Alex Chilton as well. We’ll give you Ted Cruz, Tom Cruise, Donald Trump, Marie Osmond, AND Taylor Swift if you’ll give us back Prince, Alex Chilton, Isaac Hayes, Maurice White, Bobby Blue Bland, David Bowie, and Merle Haggard. Sound like a deal?

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Memphis Gaydar News

Cherry Does Bowie

The monthly Cherry party, billed as a place for “freaks, queers, Burlesque dancers, and everyone else,” will pay homage to the late David Bowie with its “Bowie Burlesque” show on Saturday, January 30th at Earnestine & Hazel’s.

Requiemma, Will Ryder, Lady Doo Moi, and Kitty Wompas will perform their “interpretations of Bowie’s genius,” according to Cherry host/singer/comedian Julie Wheeler.

The Cherry party is typically in the 5 Spot behind Earnestine & Hazel’s, but the show may be moved to the front room of the bar due to a scheduling conflict with a dance party.

Doors open at 8:30 p.m. and the shows are scheduled for 9:30 and 11 p.m. General admission is $10, and VIP (saved seat, signed Cherry poster) is $20.

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News The Fly-By

Fly on the Wall 1405

Well Played

Advice to media professionals: When people are critical of your work, follow the lead of WMC-TV weatherman Spencer Denton and remind your critics there are dead children in the world, and it’s sad.

This proved effective last week when Denton joined other local weather forecasters in over-hyping a winter storm that never really happened in Memphis but still resulted in event cancellations, school closings, and businesses shuttering.

On the night before the “storm,” Denton dropped a post on his “Spencer Denton Meteorologist” Facebook page implying that, even if his prediction turns out wrong (like it did), people need to chillax and think about unrelated tragedies, like the recent death of 2-year-old Noah Chamberlin, an East Tennessee boy whose body was found several days after he disappeared during a hike with his grandmother.

“We are already getting blasted by people about our forecast, and the event hasn’t even happened yet. And some of the comments are personal attacks,” Denton wrote. “Funny thing is, I really don’t care. All I can think about is that little boy Noah and what he endured over the past several days. It puts things in perspective. If you get 3 to 6 inches of snow, enjoy a snow day with family and friends. If you get an inch or less, be thankful for less accidents on the roads. Whether my forecast is right or wrong, I get to go home to a little two-year-old girl tonight, for that I am truly thankful. #RIPNOAH.”

Neverending Elvis

If it’s true, this has to be one of the saddest “what ifs” in pop history. In an interview with the Orange County Register, honky-tonk torchbearer Dwight Yoakam claimed that Elvis Presley heard a recording of David Bowie’s “Golden Years” and called the Thin White Duke to ask if he’d consider producing a future record for him. It was 1977, six months before death week prime.

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News The Fly-By

Fly on the Wall 1404

Neverending Bowie

There’s an old adage that says that the three hardest dates for a musician are, in order, Christmas, Easter, and Memphis. The point’s well-illustrated by a concert review of David Bowie’s first Bluff City appearance. Commercial Appeal reporter Joe M. Dove described Bowie’s 1972 show at Ellis Auditorium as “mostly noise.”

“David Bowie probably could be a talented musician,” Dove wrote in a merciless review of the concert. “But his show is not selling music. He has substituted noise for music, freaky stage gimmicks for talent, and covers it all up with volume.” The writer had been led to believe the Spiders were “a ballad group” and was surprised to discover an artist capable of “out-freaking Alice Cooper on stage.”

His harshest lines, however, were reserved for an opening act identified as Whole Oats: “At the least, Bowie’s show can objectively be called better than that of his warm-up group, Whole Oats, a country rock quartet. Playing all of their eight numbers in a simple four-four time, the group could not even keep the attention of the crowd which spent much time milling up and down the aisles and tossing several plastic Frisbees.” One of Whole Oats’ final numbers was titled “I’m Sorry.” Dove wrote: “It should have been dedicated to the audience.”

Obviously Dove missed the boat on Bowie. But whatever happened to this forgettable country rock quartet slammed by critics and ignored by Frisbee-crazed Memphians? Nothing. The detestable act was Daryl Hall and John Oates, who went on to become the most successful pop duo in history.

D&J dubbed their partnership Whole Oats before the duo signed with Atlantic. So when the label released a promotional single, that’s the name they went with. Two months after the Bowie concert, the forgettable harmony act would be identified as Daryl Hall & John Oates on their first LP, “Whole Oats.”

Categories
Music Music Features

Oh! You Pretty Things

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Days before tons of Memphis musicians gather to pay respects to the Thin White Duke, we caught up with Graham Winchester — the Memphis Does Bowie tribute show organizer — to find out more about the unique benefit concert. –Chris Shaw

Flyer: How soon did this idea come to you following David Bowie’s death? What was the motivation behind it?

Graham Winchester: It was the day after David Bowie died I had the idea. I read Facebook comments of people saying they wished they could have seen him play live. I also saw that people were having a vinyl listening party in his honor, so I thought, “Why not throw a live show in his honor?” The motivation was to turn a sad and tragic moment in music history into a catalyst for positivity. St. Jude’s involvement makes the tribute and the charity work a doubleheader of amazingness.

How open was Minglewood to doing the show?

They have been very cool and helpful about everything. I sent a text to Brent Logan at Minglewood Hall hoping maybe the 1884 Lounge would be open, and it was. He messaged me back within five minutes, and it was a done deal until our Facebook event started exploding with numbers, so we got the big stage cleared for use that night.

What’s the response from local musicians been like since you announced the show?

There was an overwhelming amount of musicians asking to play. Everybody was immediately stoked on the idea. Even visual artists, vendors, and caterers have shown their support and have requested involvement, which Minglewood and I are trying our best to organize and make happen. We have so much musical talent in Memphis, and it’s been truly touching how many people I admire have reached out about the event.

How about local David Bowie fans?

It’s the people’s enthusiasm and support that has ignited hype and increased anticipation about the benefit. The reactions to the show have been 100 percent positive. Social media has made me even more aware of the general buzz about what’s going down Saturday. Local fans have expressed their desire to dress up, wear Bowie face paint, and create their own tribute by representing Bowie’s style. People’s sentiments have been full of nothing but gratitude and support.

 

How did you pick the bands and musicians who are participating?

After announcing the show online, a wealth of talented musicians and bands responded immediately asking to play. Trying to honor a first-come, first-served mentality, I responded to initial inquiries first. I also made sure a few of my bands were playing, since I love Bowie’s music and know my bandmates do too. It is a stroke of serious luck that the bands performing and the songs they’ve chosen truly reflect Bowie’s expansive career through all of its eras. Our local musicians and artists are extremely versatile too. I only wish I could have found a time slot for every band and musician that asked to play.

 

Where does St. Jude come in?

I’ve orchestrated benefit shows in the past, and it’s something that I truly enjoy. I play plenty of regular shows, and it feels nice to give back. I’ve always wanted to work on a benefit for St. Jude, and I saw this as a shining opportunity. Both St. Jude and David Bowie have had so much global influence, and music is the great healer of the universe.

As for the logistics of the show, how are the sets going to work? How long will each set be?

Bowie’s timeless music will go from 6 p.m. sharp to midnight. Most bands are playing two to four songs, and I am allowing five minutes per song with five-minute set changeovers. Most Bowie songs are under five minutes, so that allows for extra changeover time in the end. There is a total of 17 artists/bands performing. Towards the end of the night, Clay Otis and Luke White’s new group (that I’ve luckily been asked to be a member of) is going to do a final eight-song set. I couldn’t be happier with the overall lineup.

 Who are you most looking forward to seeing? How many sets are you playing?

I’m performing with six groups: Brian Sharpe, Chris Johnson and Landon Moore, Clay Otis and Luke White, the Graham Winchester Band, and the Sheiks and Staniel Brown. As far as what I’m looking forward to? All of it. I am particularly hyped about Richard James singing “John, I’m Only Dancing” and the Incredible Hook doing “All the Madmen.” Overall, there is just too much great music scheduled to express my excitement in one interview.

What do you have planned for the grand finale?

To be perfectly honest, I hardly know what to expect of the “Heroes” finale. What I do know is it’s gonna be a hell of a finish. The things that are finite are the rhythm section and the five lead vocalists for each verse. However, every musician there will be involved and onstage, whether it’s singing the chorus or shaking a tambourine. The musicians and fans are all going to celebrate a night of Memphis community and a night of tribute and benefit to arguably one of the greatest artists to ever live and what is absolutely the greatest hospital in the world.

Categories
Art Exhibit M

See the Pictures: David Bowie Visits Memphis College of Art

David Bowie played a couple concerts in Memphis back in the early 1970s, during his Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane days. In February of 1973, Bowie played (as Ziggy) alongside his band, the Spiders From Mars. The eyebrowless rocker then hung around town for another day and paid an impromptu visit to Memphis College of Art, where he met longtime teacher and painter Dolph Smith. 

Smith engineered the meeting by contacting Cherry Vanilla, Bowie’s PR person. The artist presented Bowie with a painting inspired by the song “Major Tom.” It shows a vividly-colored landscape and two paper airplanes — a longtime motif in Smith’s work. 

Smith, now in his eighties, remembers Bowie as unpretentious: “You know performers have a stage presence,” Smith remembered. “I found he had a modest person to person presence. No pretense… just so easy to be with that night.” 

The entire incident is remembered by local film auteur and lay historian Mike Mccarthy in two essays about the meeting, and about Dolph Smith. The photos below are all by Cherry Vanilla. 

Dolph Smith

Categories
Fly On The Wall Blog Opinion

When “Whole Oats” Opened for Bowie in Memphis

There’s an old adage stating that the three hardest dates for a musician are, in order, “Christmas, Easter, and Memphis.” Few things illustrate the point like this review of David Bowie’s first Bluff City concert. Commercial Appeal reporter Joe M. Dove wasn’t merely unimpressed by the Spiders from Mars. He described Bowie’s 1972 concert at Ellis Auditorium’s North Hall as, “mostly noise.”

And get off my lawn!

“David Bowie probably could be a talented musician,” Dove wrote in a merciless review of the concert. “But his show is not selling music. He has substituted noise for music, freaky stage gimmicks for talent, and covers it all up with volume.” The writer had been led to believe The Spiders were, “a ballad group,” and was surprised to discover an artist capable of “out-freaking Alice Cooper on stage.” His harshest lines, however, were reserved for an opening act identified as Whole Oats:

At the least, Bowie’s show can objectively be called better than that of his warm-up group, “Whole Oats”, a country rock quartet.

Playing all of their eight numbers in a simple four-four time, the group could not even keep the attention of the crowd which spent much time milling up and down the aisles and tossing several plastic Frisbees.

One of “Whole Oats” final numbers was titled “I’m sorry.” It should have been dedicated to the audience.

So, whatever happened to this forgettable straight time-obsessed country rock quartet slammed by critics and ignored by frisbee crazed Memphians? Nothing happened to them. Because the quartet never existed. The detestable act was, in fact, Daryl Hall & John Oates who went on to become the most successful pop duo in history.

“Whole Oats” isn’t a typo. Dove didn’t get available facts wrong, exactly. Daryl & John were new on the scene and preparing to release their first Atlantic Records LP. 

When ‘Whole Oats’ Opened for Bowie in Memphis

“We’d like to dedicate this song to the audience,” said Daryl Hall never. 

Before the duo signed with Atlantic they’d also named their partnership “Whole Oats.” So, when the label released a promotional single for the forthcoming album,”Whole Oats” is the name the company went with. The group was identified as Daryl Hall & John Oates when their debut album Whole Oats was released in November, 1972, only two months after the Bowie concert. For the period between the promotional release and the official release, “Whole Oats” it was. 

Ladies and gentlemen, Whole Oats!

Memphis was apparently one of H&O’s first stops on the way up. Nobody noticed. Even Ron Hall’s fantastic concert history Memphis Rocks doesn’t clarify the listing, identifying Bowie’s opening act only as Whole Oats. 

Categories
Film/TV Film/TV/Etc. Blog

Music Video Monday Special Edition: David Bowie 1947-2016

Music Video Monday is usually for Memphis acts only, but today, we make an exception for David Bowie. 

David Bowie in The Man Who Fell To Earth, 1976

Bowie, who passed away last night, two days after his 69th birthday, was hugely influential in the development of the music video form, even though his career began long before the term was coined. The modern music video has its roots in “promo clips”, short films made by record labels to promote their acts, intended to be played on TV shows like “American Bandstand” or “The Old Grey Whistle Test”. Promo clips’ primary function was to introduce English artists to American audiences, or visa versa, as it was much cheaper to produce a 3-minute short film than it was to mount a transatlantic tour. Bowie’s first promo clip was released in July, 1969, intended to coincide with the first moon landing. 

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But Bowie’s ascent to international superstardom didn’t begin in earnest for another couple of years, when he became the face of what would be called glam rock. This promo clip from 1971 is all about showing the audience Bowie’s new look. 

Music Video Monday Special Edition: David Bowie 1947-2016

The album Hunky Dory and its followup The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars made Bowie a household name in England, with the help of this 1972 performance of “Starman” on Top Of The Pops. 

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In 1973, at the height of Ziggy’s popularity, The Spiders From Mars played a show at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. Director D.A. Pennebaker was there to shoot a couple of songs for new promo clips that would accompany Bowie’s anticipated U.S. tour, but he was to taken with Bowie that he ordered his cameramen to film the entire show. Unbeknownst to him—and to the rest of the band—Bowie announced that night would be his last show as Ziggy. The resulting movie is now regarded as one of the greatest concert films of all time. Here’s “Moonage Daydream” from Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars: The Motion Picture. In 2014, this song would end up on the Guardians Of The Galaxy soundtrack. 

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Ditching Ziggy was the first of Bowie’s many reinventions of himself. In the mid-70s, he commandeered a Philly soul band and produced a series of huge hits, including “Fame”, which he co-wrote with John Lennon. With the next slightly awkward clip, Bowie became one of the first white artists to appear on Soul Train. 

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In the second half of the 1970s, Bowie’s drug habits had gotten completely out of control. He holed up in Berlin with Iggy Pop, who was also trying to kick, and former Roxy Music keyboardist turned producer Brian Eno for a trilogy of experimental art rock albums whose sound people are a still trying to emulate. The middle of the three albums—and Bowie’s second album released in 1977—was called “Heroes”. 

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Bowie had starred in the science fiction film The Man Who Fell To Earth a few years before, and as he became more interested in film, his promo clips became more elaborate. In 1980’s “Fashion”, the dialectic between Bowie and punk rock was on full display. 

Music Video Monday Special Edition: David Bowie 1947-2016 (3)

Bowie’s greatest music video was also from the Scary Monsters and Super Creeps era. “Ashes To Ashes” was produced in 1980, When MTV was launched in August, 1981, they were desperate for content, and so this strange, groundbreaking music video was the first glimpse the MTV generation got of David Bowie. 

Music Video Monday Special Edition: David Bowie 1947-2016 (4)

In 1983, Bowie filmed this video for “Let’s Dance” in Australia. Buoyed by constant rotation on MTV, it would become the biggest commercial success of his career. 

Music Video Monday Special Edition: David Bowie 1947-2016 (2)

Thanks to YouTube, there’s a lot of great videos of Bowie playing live on the web. I’m especially fond of this one from Tokyo, recorded in 1978. In July 1985, Bowie was invited to play Live Aid, a benefit concert for African famine relief that became a huge media event, commanding what was at the time the biggest television audience in history. Bowie was between tours, so with the help of  synth pop legend Thomas Dolby, Bowie put together a pick up band to create a set that would function as a primer to his entire career. Each artist was allotted 17 minutes to play, and Bowie chose “TVC-15”, “Modern Love”, “Rebel Rebel”, and “Heroes”

As the sun set over London’s Wembly Stadium, Bowie played to an estimated TV audience of 1 billion. Before Live Aid, “Heroes” was a rather obscure number that Bowie continued to keep in his show just because he liked it. After this performance, it would become his signature song. 

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Bowie continued to record and tour in various guises until he was felled by a heart attack onstage in 2004. He retired from touring, but made a comeback album The Next Day in 2014. For “The Stars Are Out” video, he enlisted Tilda Swinton as co-star. 

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Bowie was diagnosed with cancer 18 months ago, but he kept his ailment secret as he recorded one last record, Blackstar, with his producer and friend Tony Visconti. As the end approached, he created one final music video, which was released two days ago. Today, as news of Bowie’s death was announced, Visconti confirmed that Blackstar was meant as a “parting gift” to his fans. “His death was not different from his life—a work of Art.” 

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Categories
Opinion The Last Word

The Rant (February 19, 2015)

CREDIT: courtesy bc buckner | Forgotten Memphis | Wikimedia Commons

courtesy bc buckner | Forgotten Memphis | Wikimedia Commons

Mid-South Coliseum

Ouch. Hold on. Wait a second. Ouch! Ugh. It is so hard to type while hiding under a rock. It’s so dark and so cold. I’ve gone into seclusion because I just caught the tail-end of a news story reporting something about how televisions can record what you shout, uh, say, out loud to the television while watching it and transmit the recordings to some kind of database somewhere. I knew I should never have purchased a flat screen.

If this is actually true, I’m in deep doo-doo with the FBI, CIA, TSA, AA, ABC, NBC, CBS, NSA, and every other organization who’s acronym ends in “A.” Or any other letter. Because this is the area of life in which I am the most politically incorrect. They say the true measure of your character is what you do when no one is watching, and if that’s true, I’m burnt toast.

Every time I see a story on the news about that family in Arkansas with the couple who have something like 22 children and is always expecting another one I shout horrible obscenities at them. “You psychotic breeders!! Do you know how many children need adopting?!! Can you stop procreating for five minutes and give a homeless baby a home??!!”

Every time I see Sarah Jessica Parker on television I shout, “Hey, Jessica! Why the long face?!” I know. It’s horrible and shameful, but I can’t help myself. It’s a sickness.

And the advertisements for prescription drugs and their potentially dangerous side effects: high blood pressure, low blood pressure, internal bleeding, headaches, nausea, diarrhea, sleep deprivation, thoughts of suicide, kidney failure, liver disease, erectile dysfunction, erection lasting over four hours, vision problems, loss of hearing, back pain, anxiety attacks, muscle pain, swelling of the tongue, joint stiffness, blackouts, vertigo, memory loss, acid reflux. … On and on, and I always shout at the television, “Give me some side effects I don’t already have!!!!”

And I might as well throw my hat into the ring on this one: Every time I see anything on the news about tearing down the Mid-South Coliseum I totally lose it and shout, “What is wrong with you a**holes??? How could you even dare entertain an idea so stupid?! Did you never take psychedelic mood-altering substances and go there to see a David Bowie concert and have it change your life?!”

I know, I know. Not everyone has a history with that building and some people are all caught up in the financial spreadsheets (I hate spreadsheets) that calculate the pros and cons of demolishing it versus renovating it, and I don’t think anyone has yet come up with the perfect idea as to what it could become if saved from the wrecking ball. But, come on!  What is the big rush about tearing it down? Who is it hurting? What real danger does it pose? Can we not stop and realize that it has been there for decades and that we should take time to give this some serious thought?

For me, it’s a viscerally emotional thing. Every time I drive by, to this day, the sight of the Mid-South Coliseum takes my breath away. I realize that it’s just a building, but so is the Empire State Building, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Vanderbilt Mansion, Graceland, the Flatiron Building, and the Taj Mahal. If any of those were to become “obsolete” for some reason, would you want them scraped off the face of the earth?

Ever heard the saying, “Memphis has torn down more history than most other cities ever had to begin with?” It’s true. Walgreens alone has demolished the original Grisanti’s restaurant at Airways and Lamar, the original and historic Leonard’s BBQ restaurant at Bellevue and McLemore, and several other landmarks that were part of the very fabric of Memphis.

The city allowed the demolition of the resplendent Hill Mansion on Union Avenue to make way for a Shoney’s decades ago. The only remaining reminders of that beautiful home are the stone lion sculptures that were thankfully saved and are now part of the exterior of the Brooks Museum. Can you imagine what downtown would look like if all the Victorian structures surrounding Victorian Village had been saved and preserved like the ones that are still there now?

I know we can’t change the past, but can we not be a little more patient regarding the Coliseum? That building has a history and personality so culturally significant I think we should give it a lot more thought.

Besides, if they tear it down, it will give me another reason to scream at the television when they cover its demolition, which is just more information Big Brother will have on me.

Categories
Music Music Blog

Flashback Friday: Lou Reed at Ellis Auditorium 1973

Next week marks over 40 years since Lou Reed played the Ellis Auditorium with Garland Jeffreys. Reed made more trips to the Bluff City after this concert, but seeing the late New York City icon in the early 70’s must have been an amazing experience. Check out some of Reed’s solo work from that time period below along with a classic Garland Jeffreys track, and If you have flyers, photos, or stories from legendary Memphis concerts for future “Flashback Fridays,” shoot me an email.

And while you’re feeling all nostalgic, check out this awesome essay by Ron Hall on the artists that came through Ellis Auditorium during this time.

Flashback Friday: Lou Reed at Ellis Auditorium 1973 (3)

Flashback Friday: Lou Reed at Ellis Auditorium 1973 (2)

Flashback Friday: Lou Reed at Ellis Auditorium 1973

Flashback Friday: Lou Reed at Ellis Auditorium 1973 (4)