âRun Run Run / European Son / What Goes Onâ - The Feelies, Le Truck, Lyon, France, June 12, 1989
Cool news from two of my fave bands â The Feelies will be playing an entire set of Velvet Underground covers in Jersey City this October (in addition to a set of their own tunes). Itâs linked up with what looks like a very groovy VU exhibition opening right around the same time in NYC. The Feelies have been covering the Velvets for a long time, so they know what theyâre doing. For a little taste, hereâs an old fave â a bracing/blazing medley of âRun Run Run,â âEuropean Sonâ and âWhat Goes On,â recorded live in France nearly three decades ago. Lady, be good!Â
Feelies co-founder Bill Million says: âThe Velvet Underground were little known out in the suburbs, in our neighborhoods. They had an energy, even in their quieter songs, that we found not only rare, but also very appealing. It was a different kind of energy then you would hear with the Stooges and the MC5, other bands we were listening to. You would really only hear any of this music if you listened to WBAI or WFMU. This was a band making the coolest music out there, and no one around us talked or knew about them. For Glenn and I, this helped form a bond that still remains strong to this day.Their repetition and their approach to rhythm and drumming are some of the things that inspired us to start playing as a band and writing our own music. Personally speaking, it was Sterling and Lou, along with Ron Asheton, that inspired me to pick up the guitar, so having toured and played with Lou was a great thrill and honor. When we play their music, itâs really to celebrate and to honor that very early inspiration.â
