Reed ready for first LV show

Spencer Patterson

Friday, June 20, 2003 | 9:28 a.m.

Since his earliest days in the groundbreaking Velvet Underground, Lou Reed has made a career of going where few other musicians have dared.

When it comes to playing Las Vegas, however, the 61-year-old Reed hasn't exactly been at the forefront of his peer group. In fact, tonight's show at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel will be his first performance in Southern Nevada.

Reed is touring behind January release "The Raven," an album based on the work of author Edgar Allan Poe. Available in one- or two-disc versions, "The Raven" features music and spoken-word pieces, many of the latter read by celebrity guests such as Willem Dafoe and Steve Buscemi.

Reed's show will also sample from the many eras of his life, from his late-1960s days with the Velvet Underground through the many phases of his hit-and-miss solo career.

Beginning with 1989's "New York," Reed has released some of his strongest solo material in recent years: 1990's "Songs for Drella" (with former V.U. mate John Cale), 1996's "Set the Twilight Reeling" and 2000's "Ecstasy." His 1998 live disc, "Perfect Night: Live in London," also provides a strong glimpse at his live sound during this period.

On Tuesday, Reed will be inducted into Hollywood's "RockWalk," a sidewalk gallery honoring influential rock 'n' roll musicians. There he will join such luminaries as B.B. King, James Brown and the Ramones.

Earlier this month, Reed released another in a long line of career retrospectives, the 31-track, two-disc "NYC Man: The Ultimate Lou Reed Collection."

Who: Lou Reed.

Where: The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel.

When: 8 p.m. tonight.

Tickets: $35.50, $50.50.

Call: 693-5066.

Opening act: None.

Personnel: Lou Reed (vocals, guitar), Mike Rathke (guitar), Fernando Saunders (bass), Jane Scarpantonio (cello), Antony (vocals).

Latest release: "The Raven" (Reprise, 2003).

Album feedback: "Open-minded listeners will revel in 'The Raven's' impurities, its Poe-like perversions ... The reality here is that Reed had once again stretched the boundaries of popular music and, in doing so, has honored Edgar Allen Poe's illustrious legacy, along with his own." (Rolling Stone, 3 stars); "Part of the problem is that the ratio of actual songs to spoken-word tone poems is so low ... By comparison, Reed's '75 sonic assault, "Metal Machine Music," is ear candy." (Entertainment Weekly, C-).

Essential releases: "The Velvet Underground & Nico" (Velvet Underground, 1967), "White Light/White Heat" (Velvet Underground, 1967), "The Velvet Underground" (Velvet Underground, 1969), "Loaded" (Velvet Underground, 1970), "Transformer" (1972), "Berlin" (1973), "New York" (1989).

What to expect: Reed is taking a quieter approach to his catalog this time around, touring with a cellist and without a drummer. Adding to the intimate mood, Reed even brings tai-chi master Ren Guangyi onstage to perform during the show. As far as the set list goes, expect a blend of V.U. classics, material from "The Raven" and more obscure cuts from Reed's solo career.

Recent set list: June 13, Massey Hall, Toronto: "Sweet Jane," "Smalltown," "Tell it to Your Heart," "Men of Good Fortune," "How Do You Think it Feels?," "Vanishing Act," "Ecstasy," "The Day John Kennedy Died," "Street Hassle," "The Bed," "Reviens Cherie," "Venus in Furs," "Dirty Blvd.," "Sunday Morning," "All Tomorrow's Parties," "Call on Me," "The Raven," "Set the Twilight Reeling." Encore: "Candy Says," "The Last Shot," "Perfect Day," "Heroin." (from fansite arrakis.es/e.miquel/rnranimal)

Tour feedback: "(Reed) rarely performs a song exactly the way it was recorded, and seems to feel compelled to constantly re-examine and rethink his material. That can frustrate his fans, but they're almost never bored." (Toronto Sun); "Stalwart fans yelled for Mr. Reed to play more from the Velvet Underground catalog ... to no avail. With the exception of the 'Sweet Jane' opener and an upbeat 'Dirty Blvd.,' Mr. Reed clearly wanted to keep things quietly highbrow." (Washington Times).

Says Reed: "I always thought (the Velvet Underground) were the greatest thing in the world -- that combination of sounds and personalities. I'd adjusted to the idea that no one else thought so. But I've always been on the outside. I'm not getting nominated for a Grammy. I'm not in the charts." (Rolling Stone, February, 2003)