Kurt Vile with Dinosaur Jr. | photo by P Squared | courtesy of the artist
Kurt Vile lends a hand to Dinosaur Jr, Cyndi Lauper and more in NYC
With some down time in his own touring schedule, Kurt Vile spent a few recent evenings helping out at friends’ shows up in New York, covering songs and trading riffs.
The Philadelphia native’s string of guest appearances began last Wednesday when he joined fellow locals Hop Along, Steve Gunn and Waxahatchee (along with Superchunk, Parquet Courts, Kim Gordon and Screaming Females) at the Ground Control Touring 15th Anniversary show. Watch Vile, Gunn and Gordon cover Velvet Underground’s “Sister Ray” with Woods’ Jarvis Taveniere over here, followed by a clip of Vile stepping in with Woods for a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”
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Celebrating the 30th anniversary of their debut Dinosaur LP, Dinosaur Jr. are midway through a string of seven shows at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom. They opened the residency last Thursday with guest appearances by the trio of Vile, Gunn and Gordon, as well as Eleanor Friedberger and Henry Rollins. Vile joined the band on a cover of Neil Young’s “Cortez the Killer.”
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And finally, Kurt spent Saturday night performing with Cyndi Lauper for her annual Home for the Holidays concert benefiting homeless LGBT youth through her True Colors Fund. Vile sang and played on Lauper’s “Money Changes Everything” and a cover of “As Tears Go By” by The Rolling Stones. You’ll also spot The Hooters’ (and “Time After Time” co-writer) Rob Hyman on keys and melodica.