 Ridiculous TheatreI prefer theatrical spaces to clubs for performances. One of my favorite Last Forever shows took place February 16, 1994 at the Ridiculous Theatre in the West Village, New York. The space, which has since changed hands, has quite a history. It used to be the Cafe Society, where Billie Holiday sang. Later it was the place where friends would gather to share songs with Woody Guthrie during his declining years. It was also the home of Steve Paul's Scene, where Jimi Hendrix used to jam in between sessions for Electric Ladyland. We played there during the run of some show, and the set was still up, complete with doors, windows, walls, and various whimsical decorations. We shared the evening with Gary Lucas and Peter Stampfel. Gary joined Last Forever for performances of Prodigal's Return and one of his own songs, Jericho. Last Forever backed up Peter (doing "yeoman's service," as he put it) on some standards and Peter did a solo set including, Black Leather Swamp Nazi and his take on Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (!).Last Forever supervised by Peter Stampfel - photos by Jhon Wlaschin and Patti Perret |
