Tammy Faye Starlite Revisits The Life And Music Of Nico In New York City Show

She only appeared on three songs for the Velvet Underground's legendary 1967 debut album (“Femme Fatale,” “I'll Be Your Mirror” and “All Tomorrow's Parties”), and yet the German singer/model/actress Nico made her mark as a compelling performer through her striking good looks and haunting deadpan vocals. After leaving the Velvets following The Velvet Underground and Nico LP, the singer (born Christa Päffgen) forged an iconoclastic cult-like career whose music bordered on the avant-garde – at times even prefiguring Goth – while her personal life was marred by drug abuse. Tragically, Nico died in 1988 in a bicycle accident in Spain at the age of 49, but her legacy continues to grow through the admiration of countless artists and tribute performances.

One of the artists who have paid homage to Nico over the years is the New York-area singer Tammy Faye Starlite, who not only bears a resemblance to Nico with her long blonde hair but also echoes the late artist’s vocal delivery in a German accent. Recently, Starlite revisited Nico's music in the show Nico: Underground at New York City’s Joe's Pub for a weekly residency that started earlier this month and concludes this Wednesday.

In an interview with Variety from last December, Starlite explained her initial introduction to the music of Nico:

“I remember buying a cassette at Tower Records. It was one of those ROIR live cassettes, and she was singing “Heroes.” She’s saying, ‘I wish I could swim like the Dolphins can swim.’ And I thought, oh my God, the dolphins [said in a German accent] — like, I’m yours forever, because of that pronunciation!… Her version of “These Days” to me is one of the most beautiful vocals, and just her with Jackson Browne playing. It is haunting and stunning, and there’s a kind of lack of affect in her voice that that actually gives more emotional weight, I think, than people who kind of have all these trills and all the melisma. It’s a very kind of just head-on version of saying the words, which has that kind of breathiness, but there’s also the depth of whatever is specific to Nico’s experience, growing up during the war, whatever her emotional life was or wasn’t.”

As performed last week at Joe's Pub, Nico: Underground takes place sometime in the mid-1980s at an Australian radio station where a hapless interviewer (played by Jeff Ward) asks questions to Nico (by then a faded star in the Norma Desmond mode) about her life and career from her time in the Velvet Underground to her solo works. Providing the show's humorous moments, Starlite as Nico gives unfiltered and shocking responses and goes off on tangents, while she also name-drops such famous acts she’s known and worked with like Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Andy Warhol and Jackson Browne.

In between the radio segments, Nico and her band perform material from her career, including the aforementioned Velvet Underground cuts; her interpretations of other artists' material (Dylan's “I'll Keep It With Mine”; The Doors’ “The End”; and “‘Heroes’” by David Bowie); and other songs from her solo records (“Frozen Warnings,” “Chelsea Girls” and “Afraid”). In one hilarious moment, during the performance of “Chelsea Girls,” Nico engages in a physical tussle with a musician who keeps bringing out woodwind instruments (particularly the flute) that she finds intrusive to the song. Outside of that, the musical performances showcased the eclectic range of Nico's music from experimental rock to pop standards (Starlite’s rendition of “My Funny Valentine” was a poignant moment of the evening).

Accompanied by an ace band that included guitarist Richard Feridun, bassist/guitarist Keith Hartel, keyboardist David Nagler, violinist Eszter Balint, saxophonist Craig Hoek and drummer Ron Metz, Starlite convincingly channeled the spirit and voice of Nico with charm, humor, charisma and tragedy. It's now approaching almost 40 years since Nico's death, but her impact continues to amplify thanks to Starlite's commanding performance.

Nico: Underground, starring Tammy Faye Starlite, concludes on Wednesday, May 22, at Joe's Pub in New York City. For information, click here.

Setlist (from the May 8 show)

Femme Fatale (The Velvet Underground cover)

I'm Not Sayin' (Gordon Lightfoot cover)

I'll Be Your Mirror (The Velvet Underground cover)

All Tomorrow's Parties (The Velvet Underground cover)

Chelsea Girls

These Days (Jackson Browne cover)

I'll Keep It With Mine (Bob Dylan cover)

Frozen Warnings

The End (The Doors cover)

"Heroes" (David Bowie cover)

My Funny Valentine (Rodgers & Hart cover)

Afraid