The velvet metro
Oscar nominee Todd Haynes just teased his latest film release, an in-depth look at rock band The Velvet Underground.
For the uninitiated, The Velvet Underground burst into underground music in the mid-1960s. Led by guitarist / singer (and notoriously bisexual) Lou Reed, the group has become one of artist Andy’s favorites. Warhol and pioneered work on the idea of concept albums; that is, albums that tell a vague story about a group of characters and deal with different real-world themes. Despite the credibility of the art and the support of popular musicians such as Marianne Faithful and Mick Jagger, the Velvet Underground never really found mainstream stardom and disbanded in 1970. That didn’t stop the music. or band members to become widely influential, especially in the Glam Rock genre. Lou Reed, in particular, would prove to be very influential for David Bowie.
Related: Lou’s Legacy: 7 Underground Queer-Ass Velvet Songs
Haynes, director of Velvet Goldmine, Carol and Far From Heaven, now chronicles the rise and fall of the group in the director’s very first documentary. Using new interviews, archival footage and rare concert material, Haynes traces the origins of the band, their avant-garde rise, and the tensions that ultimately force them to part ways.
Given Haynes’ love of queer rock in the films Velvet Goldmine, I’m Not There, and Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, we’re so ready to see him break away from the Underground.
The Velvet Underground arrives on AppleTV on October 15.
