What Goes On
September 3, 2015 12:46 PM Subscribe
This post was deleted for the following reason: Poster's Request -- frimble
Holy shit.
posted by swift at 1:08 PM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by swift at 1:08 PM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
A missing part of the post-script is the final Velvet Underground performance, at the 1995 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction... a tribute to Sterling called "Last Night I Said Goodbye to my Friend"
posted by SansPoint at 1:14 PM on September 3, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by SansPoint at 1:14 PM on September 3, 2015 [4 favorites]
How did I not know “Tugboat” was about Sterling Morrison?!? (weeps, turns in indie rock badge and back issues of Ray Gun)
Really lovely article.
posted by miles per flower at 1:15 PM on September 3, 2015 [10 favorites]
Really lovely article.
posted by miles per flower at 1:15 PM on September 3, 2015 [10 favorites]
Morrison finished his PhD in 1986, 15 years after the incident at the Houston airport. In that span, he got married, had two children, and eventually moved to Houston to work full-time on the tugboats. Once Morrison had published his dissertation, “Historiographical Perspectives in the Signed Poems of Cynewulf,” he was already a certified tugboat captain.
...answers the question "what are you going to do with that?"
posted by thelonius at 1:22 PM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
...answers the question "what are you going to do with that?"
posted by thelonius at 1:22 PM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
Seconding about the Galaxie 500 song. OMFG. OMFG.
posted by Annika Cicada at 1:24 PM on September 3, 2015
posted by Annika Cicada at 1:24 PM on September 3, 2015
Doesn't mentioned that the Tugboat Captain also played guitar on a couple tracks on the album "Bewitched" by Luna, (Dean Wareham's post Galaxy 500 band). "Friendly Advice" and "Great Jones Street". Great stuff. In other news, Luna is back together and touring. Circles within circles, man.
posted by jetsetsc at 1:34 PM on September 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by jetsetsc at 1:34 PM on September 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
"Great Jones Street."
Which was inspired by the DeLillo novel of the same name. Ah, the VU, Galaxie 500, and Don DeLillo: such a large chunk of my later twenties.
posted by octobersurprise at 1:48 PM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
Which was inspired by the DeLillo novel of the same name. Ah, the VU, Galaxie 500, and Don DeLillo: such a large chunk of my later twenties.
posted by octobersurprise at 1:48 PM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
All Tugboat Captains are rock stars, as far as I'm concerned. If not vice versa.
posted by valkane at 2:11 PM on September 3, 2015
posted by valkane at 2:11 PM on September 3, 2015
In the late 70's my (future) wife and I lived at the 21st Street Co-op. Sterling would drop by from time to time for some free grub. Everyone was like, "Velvet Underground? Cool! More mashed potatoes?"
posted by jim in austin at 2:22 PM on September 3, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by jim in austin at 2:22 PM on September 3, 2015 [5 favorites]
His entire life was one big "As one does...". Just amazing.
posted by Etrigan at 3:44 PM on September 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 3:44 PM on September 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
As I get older, it becomes increasingly apparent that the line between celebrity (even super cool rock star celebrity) and broke, everyday schlub is a lot less defined and lasting than it seems. It's not rare for somebody to be in an awesome, world famous, influential band and then end up struggling to pay the rent and working in some job that has nothing to do with music. Some of the coolest people ever end up temping, working for the DMV in Ohio, pumping gas at a station owned by their father in law. Maybe every few years they get to be famous for an afternoon at some reunion or Hall of Fame induction, maybe they go to conventions sometimes and sign stuff for trembling fans who have no idea that their hero spent the previous day on their knees, trying to unstop somebody's toilet.
Morrison seems to have been at peace as a tugboat captain, to have even enjoyed it. Thank goodness for that. Mo Tucker ended up temping, and I get the impression it really, really bothered her. And why wouldn't it? She was Mo Fucking Tucker, from the Velvet Underground!
Imagine being a faded star, working some day job somewhere with the radio on, and one of your band's old songs comes on. If you smile and turn it up, instead of turning it off, I guess you're one of the lucky ones.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 5:58 PM on September 3, 2015 [7 favorites]
Morrison seems to have been at peace as a tugboat captain, to have even enjoyed it. Thank goodness for that. Mo Tucker ended up temping, and I get the impression it really, really bothered her. And why wouldn't it? She was Mo Fucking Tucker, from the Velvet Underground!
Imagine being a faded star, working some day job somewhere with the radio on, and one of your band's old songs comes on. If you smile and turn it up, instead of turning it off, I guess you're one of the lucky ones.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 5:58 PM on September 3, 2015 [7 favorites]
Here's a link to Sterling's cooler sounding masters' thesis: The Celebrated Sword in Beowulf
posted by jonp72 at 7:03 AM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by jonp72 at 7:03 AM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by octobersurprise at 12:58 PM on September 3, 2015 [3 favorites]