THE DAY THE VELVETS MET THE DEAD: TWO REVIEWS

F. D. Williams and Joe Anderson

The Pittsburgh Point, February 8, 1969

Two reviews of the February 7, 1969, appearance of the Velvet Underground with the Grateful Dead and the Fugs at the Stanley Theater appeared in The Pittsburg Point. The first of these, “The Journey of the Magi” by F. D. Williams, was brief but precise:

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND WAS MORE VELVET THAN UNDERGROUND— smooth, soft, and sensuous. The juxtaposition of “What Goes on in Your Mind” to a “Merry Melodies” cartoon (starring Bugs, would you believe, Bunny) rearranged our brainwaves in nostalgic patterns.

The Velvet and the audience vibrated in perfect harmony, soothed by music loud enough to reach the inner core of being without shattering the transcendence of community.

“Flesh in the Great Rock Wasteland” by Joe Anderson affirmed the Velvets’ ascendancy:

Of course the making of the concert was the tight performance of three Rock groups—the Velvet Underground, the Fugs and the Grateful Dead. Such a collection of freaks could hardly lead anywhere but up. The Velvet Underground (preceded by Paul Krassner, who got a lot of snickers but really wasn’t necessary) opened up the festivities with “Heroin,” one of their religious songs. The power of the Velvet Underground has its source in the train-like rhythms of Maureen Tucker, their curly red-haired drummer. Hunched over her drums, flailing the skins like some madwoman, she was quite an impressive sight. Tucker is not a very good drummer by any means, but her primitive, nerve-throb style and her seemingly endless fount of energy make her ideal for the Underground.

I was so fascinated by Tucker’s movements as she tortured her drums that I only got around to noticing Lou Reed towards the middle of the lengthy “Sister Ray.” The whole time Maureen Tucker was smashing away at the skins, Reed just floated aloof through everything. He only seemed to come around to what was happening when he got into “Sister Ray” with all its sexual narcotic imagery (“She’s just suckin’ on my ding dong/I’m searchin’ for my mainline”). If it’s necessary to pick the best group of the evening, then my choice is the Velvet Underground.