It's with sadness but with fond memories that we're posting a clip from Television frontman Tom Verlaine's visit to the 7th James River Film Festival in 2000. Tipped off by Steve Wilson that Verlaine was touring with a package of vintage avant-garde films, we soon got in touch with him--by telephone!--and he agreed to come down, but we'd have to fly his accompanist, Jimmy Rip, in from LA. The night they got in after our other programs were finished, they asked to go out to hear some live music, so we took them to Jimmy's, the now-defunct jazz club at Broad and Meadow, where they marveled at the low cost of the drinks!
On Sunday, April 16th, at the Byrd Theater, the performance was packed and Verlaine went off with his loopy guitar solos backed by session guitarist Rip, they played to Star of the Sea (Man Ray), Fall of the House of Usher (Watson & Webber), The Life & Death of 9413: A Hollywood Extra (Florey & Vorkapich), Emak Bakia (Man Ray), They Caught the Ferry (Dreyer), Autumn Mist (Kirsanoff), and Ballet Mechanique (Leger). At the end, the applause rained down, and Verlaine humbly stood and acknowledged the crowd, urged on by Rip.
Tom, we barely knew ye, but we thank you and will forever remember you!
-Michael Jones