"Black Postcards," the new memoir by ex-Galaxie 500 and Luna man Dean Wareham is a terrific read that gives great insights into the sub-pop rock world of the 1980s and 1990s. Wareham seems to be reliable narrator if only because he doesn't mind telling stories that make him less than heroic. The breakup of his marriage is detailed with almost cool detachment. You can tell he feels deeply about it, but the emotion doesn't seem to cloud his description of events.
Here's some of what I learned about Wareham by reading "Black Postcards"
1) He dislikes The Pixies
2) He really likes the drug Ecstasy
3) He really likes The Feelies
4) He really dislikes fans who come up to him after shows and want to talk about what distortion pedals he uses.
Anyone curious about what it would have been like to be on the rock club circuit in both America and Europe back in the '90s should give the book a read. "Black Postcards" makes a fine companion to Jen Trynin's "Everything I'm Cracked Up To Be" which also demystifies the underground rock experience.
OK, so what does "Black Postcards" have to do with music in and around Norfolk? Well, the book does mention Norfolk ... exactly once.
Recalling a gig he played at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia as an opener for Lou Reed, Wareham writes "The Electric Factory was pretty glamorous compared with some of the places Luna had played, like the Jewish Mother in Norfolk, Virginia, or Sudsy's in Cincinnati."
Ah, our fair city besmirched again. But I'm not sure if he really meant the Jewish Mother in Virginia Beach. While there was a Jew Mom in Norfolk for a time, I remember it as a reasonably classy joint.
2 comments:
Wow, I always liked Luna and Wareham (I quite enjoy the Dean & Britta stuff). However, he sounds like he's kind of a posh music snob dickhead. Still, maybe I'll read the book some time!
Doing ecstasy shows bad judgment, but not liking the Pixies is unforgivable!
Was the Norfolk Jewish Mother on Colley, by the bridge toward Larchmont? I was away from the area for a while in the '90s, but I seem to remember someone moving in there after Colley Bay Cafe closed.
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