It’s not uncommon for the correspondents here at Starcasm Control to be jamming out to some good music while we work. Wouldja believe I was listening to the classic Lou Reed album New York when this pic came across the wire? This ain’t no life-changing news, but it’s nice to know that the legendary Velvet Underground-er hails a taxi just like the rest of us, in this case opting for above-ground transport rather than the “underground” subway. (I’m guessing the “Busload of Faith” had already passed by on its route?)
Apparently, Lou took the time to shed his “Blue Mask” and put down his “Red Joystick” to go colorless with a drab, slate gray ensemble that includes a pair of sporty Uggs. Hey, I couldn’t get away with that, but for Lou, it definitely works! Hey, Lou, if you’re still out there trying to hail a cab, you can always “Run Run Run!”
(No more Lou Reed song references, I promise.)
Every time your humble correspondent visits New York City, it’s inevitable I run into a celebrity. It just happens; it’s something I’m sure the locals are used to (and now, in my jaded years, so am I). But it must be jarring at times to see well-known-to-the-world folks doing stuff your everyday, ordinary New Yorker does, whether it’s America Ferrera getting money out of an ATM, Zachary Quinto jaywalking, or Steve Buscemi visiting the post office. (All of which I have seen with my own two eyes!)
The all-time best celebrity encounter for me, though, was when I went to see Bob Dylan and Patti Smith play a show at the Beacon Theater and who should be sitting behind me but Lou Reed and his then-girlfriend and now wife Laurie Anderson? Yes, you read that right: I was seated in front of them! (I don’t know if you know this, but Chris Gaines is kind of a big deal…)
Lou’s a busy guy in 2011, what with headlining the Hop Farm Festival in July with Morrissey, Iggy and the Stooges, Patti Smith, and Gang of Four. (Boy, now ain’t that a bill!) Plus, he’s busy making the rounds with his directorial debut Red Shirley, a film about his 101-year-old cousin Shirley Novick. If she’s lived a life half as interesting as Lou (and apparently she has and then some), that’ll be a documentary well worth watching.
Here’s the trailer:
For more news on Lou, visit LouReed.com.
