Lou Reed in leather pants, zero pretension, all attitude — this is how legends do Jersey.
Lou Reed was wise to chronicle a concert by his early-'80s band, featuring lead guitarist Robert Quine and bassist Fernando Saunders. Reed had used them on his trilogy of strong albums -- The Blue Mask, Legendary Hearts, and New Sensations -- released between 1982 and 1984. This 52-minute video, shot at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ, in 1984, is a straightforward, no-frills live show. Reed, in black T-shirt and black leather pants, stands on-stage before a cityscape background and makes his way through a set that features both a selection of Velvet Underground songs, and his sole hit single, "Walk on the Wild Side," plus highlights from his three recent albums, notably such songs as "I Love You Suzanne." As such, the video makes a good Lou Reed career sampler.
Acting
Reed's deadpan banter — performance art disguised as small talk.
Practical Effects
That gloriously fake cityscape backdrop, peak 1984 aesthetic.
Sound
Robert Quine's guitar work, raw and unfiltered.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was filmed at the Capitol Theater, the same venue where Bruce Springsteen's legendary 1978 Darkness on the Edge of Town shows were recorded — Jersey's unsung rock cathedral.
The Robert Quine era represents Reed's critical rehabilitation after the maligned 1970s; this concert captures the moment punk's godfather became respectable without selling out.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
US
