Velvet Undergound Tribute Act Velvets (feat. Alan Sparhawk of Low) to Play First Ever Twin Cities Show Friday at Hook and Ladder
“You come at the king, you best not miss” Omar from the Wire
I have a few holy grails in music, with one being the Velvet Underground (well, at least the first 75% of the Lou Reed-era VU). Their debut album and White Light/White Heat are stone cold classics, with their final two albums having some songwriting gold strewn amongst some unfortunate drop-offs. But in general I hold them to a level that I haven’t necessarily been looking for a cover band for their music. Basically I’m afraid someone will cover their music in such an insipid way that it will kill off the joy that the band brings me. Cover (or tribute) bands in my book are for the kind of music that you don’t dislike, but it mostly is better after three or fours beers, generally outside on a summer day. Think Tom Petty, Weezer or ELO. But not the Velvet Underground.
But I have a high hopes for Velvets, a Minnesota VU tribute band, mostly via the fact that it is anchored by a local music deity in Alan Sparhawk of Low. The band also is comprised of Steve Garrington(Low), Marc Gartman (Glitteratti) and Steven Yasgar (Communist Daughter). The group will be making their Twin Cities debut Friday, April 12th at the Hook and Ladder Theater in south Minneapolis. They are promising to deliver a “two set performance…spanning the influential NYC band’s catalog with both the familiar and rarities for fans.”
Tickets are $18 at the door, with music set to start at 8:30. More info and tickets can be found HERE.
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