Saturday, March 12, 2011

The Feelies (aka Foggy Notion) Play The Velvet Underground


Back when I was in university, a friend of mine had a job through the cities Parks and Rec department, booking entertainment for block parties and noon hour concerts in the downtown area. One of his regular performers was two guys sporting sunglasses, playing acoustic guitars and performing covers of Velvet Underground (and a couple Violent Femmes) songs. They were called The Sons Of Batman and for a group that played for next to nothing they were pretty good. Technically, a group like that might be considered a tribute band, but to me they were a couple of guys that took the spirit of the band and made it their own. They weren't trying to impersonate or copy the Velvet Underground's music note for note, but instead they played the songs acoustically maintaining a cool laidback style, yet they were scraggy and unpolished.

The Feelies are a band, in my mind anyways, that come closest in sound and vibe to the Velvets. The Feelies often include covers in their setlist of bands they admire and are influenced by, Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, The Stooges, Neil Young, Television, the Rolling Stone and the band they cover the most, The Velvet Underground. I've posted a recording that features The Feelies play a complete set of Velvet Underground songs back in 1983. At least it sounds like the Feelies, but the line-up is debatable according to another source (in the comments section), it seems Foggy Notion is more an off-shoot of The Feelies with members from a number of different bands. Regardless, it's a great set of outstanding music that if you close your eyes and listen (okay, you really don't need to close your eyes), you almost swear it's the Velvets...kinda?
Enjoy!

THE FEELIES (aka Foggy Notion)
Maxwell's
Hoboken, NJ

May 15, 1983

  1. I'm Waiting For My Man
  2. White Light/White Heat
  3. Here She Comes Now
  4. There She Goes Again
  5. Run Run Run
  6. I'll Be Your Mirror
  7. Cool It Down
  8. All Tomorrow's Parties
  9. What Goes On
  10. Kill Your Sons
  11. Sister Ray
  12. Foggy Notion
THE FEELIES- 5-15-83. rar

2 comments:

L said...

Another great great share - un mil gracias - a thousand thanks for the Feelies.

Taylor said...

Thank you SO much for this and several other shows I've gotten from your blog today! Much appreciated!!

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