Lou Reed: Returns to the Wild Side
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In-the-know hipsters and industry elite crammed into the confines of Fader Magazine's unofficial SXSW venue The Fort on a humid Friday afternoon, all based on the word-of-mouth wildfire that had been spreading all week - keynote speaker Lou Reed was rumored to perform. While customary, the keynote is not obligated to take the stage at SXSW; not content to let the Velvet Underground legend coast through the week without strapping on his guitar, the Fader crew slyly assembled an all-star tribute to the man. This appeal to the ego seemingly paid off in spades, as 500+ fans cheered at the sight of Reed, camera draped around his neck, making his entrance at the start of the show.
And what a fitting tribute it was - indie royalty ranging from Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore to Yo La Tengo all kicked out the jams from Reed's extensive catalog of art-rock anti-hits. After close to three hours of tribute, the event truly bore fruit; accompanied by techno whizkid Moby, Reed finally hit the stage with his trademark hit "Walk on the Wild Side", breaking off into extended guitar jams at will. Tossing in a pair of farewell cuts including "Sweet Jane", Reed left the stage to the roar of the ecstatic crowd, fist raised triumphantly in the air, his parting words "I love punk rock!" echoing into the Austin, Texas dusk.
