Murray wrote me and told me that Television were going on a tour and would be playing at Irving Plaza in NYC.,
I hadn't seen Television in several light years and they were always one of my favorite bands from CBGBs. I still play Marquee Moon., its one of my favorite albums (and Richard Lloyds solo album Alchemy). I thought it would be a great to go see their reunion tour and called up Irving Plaza to see if it was true., it wasn't even up on their website yet. I was told yes its been confirmed their definitely going to be playing March 25-26th so I got a ticket immediately. A friend coming to visit NYC from England was also going and another friend DaDa from NY., neither had ever seen them live before but were fans. I told them I just knew they were going to be blown away

I got there early to meet my friends and there were already people lining up and milling around way before 8:00 showtime. I was surprised to see what a young crowd it was., the majority was under 30..it was a very grunge-looking crowd., very original CBGB crowd looking. I saw maybe 2 gothy looking people and a few Johnny thunder clones. It looked like a Pearl Jam/ Neil Young audience. I didn't see one Mohawk either and I gotta say that was a good thing!., very UN -Punky pre-Sex Pistols looking so it felt oddly familiar and comfortable. I wondered if I'd run into any of the old crowd but I didn't see anyone.

I got there met up with friends went right in and to the stage. I heard from Robert Lund who went Thursday that there were a sea of bald heads so perhaps the old crowd went the nite before!? He, by the way, said they were AMAZING!

One guy was selling tickets outside., the show was sold out so he was selling them double the price which people gratefully paid. Because its local for them tickets were alot cheaper than I heard they were overseas., no plane fare or hotel bills and expenses to include in price I suppose...........,
Irving Plaza looked beautiful., not at all as I remembered. I remembered it as a big grey dusty crumbling hole..EVERYTHING was grey, it seemed to be covered with cobwebs and a film of soot dirt and dust. Now it was all polished brass and glass and gilt edged. the lounge was all redone with red velvet covered Victorian couches, antique chandeliers .,it was clean and the musty mouldy damp odour of dead roaches and damp decay was gone. , it looked fabulous! I think the last time I went there was either to see Johnny Thunders or Richard Lloyd (which was a memorable chaotic show!)

We went to the second floor., there was a "Rock the Vote" table, I was glad to see. I think in a way it was management's way of saying were sorry that Clear channel produces the shows., there the company that bowed down to the FCC and yanked the Howard Stern show off of 6 channels in the States because the FCC complained., the FCC is run by President George Bush' puppet.., Colin Powells son and they got all twisted when Stern mentioned he wasn't going to vote for George Bush so they hit Clear channel with the threat of fines and after 15 happy profitable years they yanked Howard off. This all went down after I bought the tickets. I felt really quietly about going my only consolation was this happened after I bought the ticket or I might have not gone. The Rock the vote movement is so clearly Anti - Bush so its great they have that going on.

I went straight to the front people were already getting in there place. Some chick came on Martha Wainwright (?) I think she's Rufus Wainwrights sister and he was sitting on the stage shaking a tambourine through out the short ( thankfully) set. At least it looked like him , maybe it was her boyfriend? but her set., It was SO painful
It was so awful and no one seemed to be into it except the band, all smiley and happy ( and deluded maybe).., and every song sounded the same. She was playing acoustic., she was just warbling along "Eye eye eye, ya " I had no idea what the hell she was singing about, alot of trilling ,and making little clever comments about her songs that no one cared about and I wondered if she heard the crowd grumbling.. "awh go back to Lillith fair."..'what is this?'..whos she?.........god she sucks...........this is fucking awful..........I cant wait to see Television.. where's TELEVISION already!"..what?...I wanna cigarette...lets get a drink.....I wanna get a smoke watch my spot ....... .. I think the tambourine shaker (Rufus?) heard it because we were standing right in the front row and he was giving dagger eyes to everyone., I could feel the heat of his glare! it was deadly!.

FINALLY Television came on..the crowd went woosh!WOOOSH!!!
it was like time travel. Suddenly I was back in "that place". It was almost a relief to hear them play again. When they started the first notes of "little Johnny Jewel" everyone went nuts. They did Prove it., one of my favorite songs I hoped they'd play and everyone sang along PROVE IT !! They did Venus De Milo (I'm pretty sure ?) a bunch of songs I didn't remember or recognized. I wasn't taking notes, one called "Persia" was very beautiful dreamlike and north African sounding., and Ficca went into a samba which was great., all in all 13 songs ending with
"Marquee Moon." and one encore.

They were so great that as I photographed them I was hoping I could photograph the music itself., it was weird though in one picture Tom was playing so fast and complex and frantic that you can see the waves of light..,
They did one encore Psychotic Reaction..which turned into mostly a long jam with Verlaine really going off in all directions and wailing away doing all kinds of riffs sometimes quite frantic and joyful. and then Richard Lloyd jumped in ............,
then they were gone.,
The crowd went wild. A group of people fell to the floor writhing in ecstasy groaning "that was so GOOD!" I would have taken their picture but was finally out of film.

I felt the same way..I kinda wished I could have collapsed on the floor with them
..One drunk guy kept going on "they rock man Verlaine ROCKS man hey I saw you taking pictures! you took some ROCKIN pictures man Hey TELEVISION ROCKS MAN!!!

My friends Clive via England and Da-Da from the East Village via somewhere in Europe were totally blown away and aghast and impressed. Dada said it was like a trip like dark side of the moon Pink Floyd very dreamlike and hypnotic Clive asked me how many times I've seen them and I said I really didn't know..seems like a hundred times..they played alot and I always went to see them., they were just always there., sorta took it for granted in a way when they broke up it was heartbreaking though they had a few reunions I never made it . family responsibilities etc or I just didn't know about it since I had stopped hanging out completely in my quest to have a "normal life"..family etc

All in all it was such a great nite even the crowd was great., I took a picture of the guys next to me., and the funny kid who yelled out about Hell. was a pisser! and, they were rabid Televison/NY Dolls/Johnny Thunders /RAMONES fans (THUNDERS!?? HES THE MAN! THE MAN!!! the kid in the baseball hat who yelled out declared!)

the only dent in the night was this old fart behind me..when Verlaine came back on he had a cigarette so the boys behind me lit up..and this old guy went nuts sputtering "its illegal! blahblahblah.." so I turned and said 'oh come on so what..hey .um.,TOMS smoking?..and he said ( and I expected this!.. ) "Well he can!...., he's TOM VERLAINE!... and he's just some fucking kid" I said to him 'awh I don't think that's very nice to say I don't think Tom would LIKE THAT!!" guy got all flustered .,.then this idiot took a picture of this boy and when I asked did he just take your picture he replied "yeah cos I'm cute! "I asked the guy 'what are you gonna do with that picture send it too the FBI?' I took the cigarette from the kid and took a drag and said "Ooh arrest me !.,' ...well folks there's always an asshole in every crowd.

Deborah Samantha Olin at the Lund Gallery

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