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Desolation
Row/Vlasev Havel New Year’s Eve downtown. A nightmare proposition at best. Or so I had decided 8 years ago. But so has everyone else, apparently, for the crowd was lively but - while not sparse - was not overwhelming either. This was true both inside and outside the club. But we’re not here to talk about the street; instead, let’s talk about the Factory. A haven for rockers, junkies, artists, actors and freaks during the height of Andy Warhol’s god-like power in the NY art scene, the Factory was the place to be should you wish to be somebody. And it was here where the Velvet Underground first cut their teeth and lanced a vein performing live for audiences more concerned with being seen than listening to what Lou Reed and co. had to say. OK, history lesson over. New Year’s Eve at Beerland attempted to re-enact those drug-addled days of yesteryear, but while not falling flat, fell slightly short of the mark. The dearth of tin foil was the first indication that the music this evening was tantamount (as it should be) and, upon closer inspection, the “bars” to the go-go cage revealed themselves to actually be rope spray painted silver. Brilliant Billy. However, “Sugar Daddy” Hedwig definitely qualified as someone to look at. Oh yeah, there was music. Desolation Row, while possibly named after a Dylan song came off more like the MC5 with their Gibson crunch and near-glam presence. Definitely worth checking out. And Vlasev Havel. What can I say? Despite being nervous as a whore in church, Billy and his ragtag band of VU vampsters pulled off an amazing set of VU tunes, making the evening the first New Years sing-along I’ve ever been to. Let’s do it again! –Trevor Wallace |
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