Thursday, November 03, 2005

Enjoy the Ride



Stopped by my grocery store tonight to find the parking lot filled with enormous stretch limousines. Turns out the Latin Grammy Awards' afterparty was taking place a block away at the Pacific Design Center and the drivers were hanging out while their rock star riders partied the night away.

Earlier in the evening I saw a great rock 'n roll documentary about the early 70s breakthrough band, "New York Dolls." The film centers on the band's bass guitarist Arthur "Killer" Kane.

After the band broke up all the members went on to some sort of other musical success EXCEPT for Kane. He found himself broke and in Los Angeles and finally became a Mormon and went to work in the West Los Angeles Temple's Family History Research Center.

Some of the best footage in the movie is of the little church ladies, who adore Arthur, discussing what it's like to know a rock star. One ponders if she's too old to still be a groupie.

In 2004, singer Morrissey, organized a festival of 70s bands in London -- and the Dolls reunited nearly three decades after breaking up. Arthur got what he'd prayed for for years -- and chance to be a rock star again AND to clear the air with his old bandmates (or at least the two who were still living.)

The film intersplices concert footage from the band's performances in the 70s with last year's reunion. Let's just say 30 years of living the rock star lifestyle clearly takes a toll.

But for one night they were the Dolls again and their fans were ecstatic.

Then on the following Monday, Kane took the bus back to his job at the Mormon library. Posted by Picasa

No comments: