...singer with seminal indie rock bands Galaxie 500 and Luna (and now the mellow-lounge stylings of Dean & Britta) was in town this weekend for the PuSH International Performing Arts Festival. I've known Dean for 16 years. He used to call me the Donut Girl because we had this running joke in Toronto when I used to bring the band beignets, back in the 90s.
Anyway, the Andy Warhol Museum commissioned Dean to write some music for some silent, B&W screentests Warhol did in the late 60s and so, he and Britta (his wife/bandmate) put together The 13 Most Beautiful: Songs for Andy Warhol's Screen Tests. Dean put me on the guest list for the Van perf, and so me and the lovely Anita tarted ourselves up in our finest boho-chic (hanging out with the arts crowd, don't you know) and went off to the Vogue Theatre.
It was a welcome distraction from recent shit. And an utterly commanding performance, actually. Considering Dean & Britta's gig at Richard's last year nearly put Dan, Joy and Julie to sleep, I was pleased Anita got into it. I urge you to check the 13 out if they tour your town. V. cool. And remember, Britta used to be the singing voice for the cartoon Jem (as in her of The Holograms).
Was also chuffed because Dean had sent me an email earlier in the day. Complained he was ill but that they were likely going to be playing a secret, midnight show on Granville Island after their Warhol thing, so of course, we went along. I was psychically exhausted but as Dean & Britta's stuff is far from taxing, it became a perfect soundtrack to my trampled mood.
The next day, I got even more Dean action. He did a book reading and short acoustic gig at the fabulous indie record store, Zulu. Afterward, we chatted earlier, then I stood in line, waiting to get him to sign my uncorrected galley review copy of the book, Black Postcards.
I said: "I know it's weird cos I've known you this long to get you to sign this, but you know me, always a collector and fan..."
Dreamy Dean smiled, and said (signing my book without asking me to spell my name): "I'd put 'to the Donut Lady', but I think we're far beyond that now." :-)
Comme j'ai dit, a welcome distraction. Read my Dean Wareham interviews, if you fancy.
(And sorry for the delay in blogging. Life's been, uh interesting, for us. More news as it happens.)
2 comments:
It's funny hearing him read it - he should really do an audiobook version I'd buy a copy. Great video. Thanks.
Hey Andy, thanks for commenting. Glad you liked the video. I actually took about 25 minutes' worth including some good acoustic vids. May upload them to YouTube one day, I'll send you a note with the URL if I get around to it.
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