Laurie Anderson Plans Daylong Tribute to Lou Reed in NYC

Experimental musician, filmmaker and performance artist Laurie Anderson is curating a daylong tribute to tremendously influential musician and her late husband, Lou Reed, in NYC this summer. Dubbed The Bells, the tribute show will take place on July 30 at Lincoln Center as a part of their annual Out of Doors summer series.

The event will begin in the morning with group Tai Chi, open to all attendees, led by Reed’s instructor, Master Ren Guangyi.

Anderson, an East Hampton resident, will also present a sound installation designed by her late husband, “Lou Reed: Drones,” consisting of six of Reed’s guitars on a constant loop in homage to his experiments with feedback and distortion, as immortalized on his polarizing 1975 album Metal Machine Music.

Various actors and artists will contribute readings of Reed’s lyrics throughout the day, and a marathon of his extensive catalogue of recordings will be played.

In the evening, a Lou Reed’s Love Songs concert will begin, featuring a yet-to-be announced roster of musicians who will pay homage to the groundbreaking rocker.

A presentation of Montauk artist Julian Schnabel’s 2008 Lou Reed concert film, Berlin: Live at St. Ann’s Warehouse, will follow, depicting footage from Reed’s 2006 concert tour of his 1973 album of the same name.

Lincoln Center was an important venue for Reed and Anderson as both performers and attendees. After Reed’s death in November of 2013, Lincoln Center became the gathering place for his fans in New York City. It was the only public event that celebrated the musician’s lifetime of groundbreaking and influential music. Featuring no speeches or testimonials, Reed’s devoted fans honored his legacy simply by his listening to his music.

“The Bells” will surely be in the same vein, as a gathering of Reed’s fans in his memory.

More details regarding The Bells and its guest performers will be released in early May.