B&W FLASHBACK: Bottom Line Nights (late 1970s)

In its heyday, the Bottom Line was my favorite venue for live music.  Bruce Springsteen played there shortly before Time magazine put him on the cover, but Lou Reed always was more my man.

I guess I must have tried to see Bryan Ferry, too.  It was never to be.  My mother's death in 1975 meant I couldn't join Tom and Audrey for a Roxy Music show at the Academy of Music.

The club's owners didn't care if you took photographs and the place, which served food, was small enough that you could get some pretty good shots, although mine always seemed to be slightly out of focus.  I was an enthusiastic amateur at best.

Audrey often accompanied me to shows before she landed a job in the music industry.

I'd like to think we caught David Johansen's first solo run in 1978 but I can't be sure.  There's a live recording.  While still in college, we lined up to see the New York Dolls at the Mercer Arts Center but never got in.  Here's Johansen harmonizing with former bandmate Sylvain Sylvain.

Sylvain Sylvain must have performed in support of his first solo album, too.  Time seems to be particularly unkind to rock 'n rollers.  Syl checked out in 2021, balding, overweight and bloated.

I can't identify this musician even though he's in sharper focus than the rest!

Few queer musicians were out in those days but Tom Robinson was an exception.  "Glad to Be Gay" became an anthem for British poofs.  The former boy-next-door now identifies as bisexual although he once wrote a song about cruising toilets called "Can't Keep Away," which hasn't lost any of its shock value.

I continued attending Bottom Line shows sans camera until the early 1980s. Garland Jeffries, Dolly Parton, Tim Curry and Patti Smith were among the artists I saw perform.   I missed my camera most when an energetic Patti jumped from the stage to a table before squirting catsup on a surprised patron.  When he protested, the punk priestess snarled "Stop whining, I'll pay for your dry cleaning!"  Those were the days!