Recording: Ostrich Tuning feat. Steven Leckie

Artist: Ostrich Tuning feat. Steven Leckie

Song: Coney Island Baby [Lou Reed cover]

Recorded at The Silver Dollar Room ("Lou Reed: Live Tribute"), November 21, 2013.

Ostrich Tuning feat. Steven Leckie - Coney Island Baby

Full review to follow. Lou Reed, in his work in the Velvet Underground and as a solo artist, created an entirely new lineage in the great tree of rock'n'roll. Any band that embraces some combination of darkness, bad vibes, unrepentant vice, noise and art can probably trace their roots back towards Lou Reed, and in Toronto, it seemed exactly right that the Silver Dollar (home, most nights, to some combination of the above) should be the place to host a night of music in tribute. A full night saw a wide variety of Reed's heirs celebrate some good songs, ranging from quiet moments of beauty to noise freakouts.

The best set of the night saw Ostrich Tuning (whose very name is a tribute to Lou Reed) pay their respects with several diverse approaches. With an extended lineup featuring friends Robyn Phillips (backing vox) and Nick Kervin (guit), the set started with Ami Spears delivering slow, gorgeous versions of "Femme Fatale" and "I Found a Reason", and it ended with Matt Mason (of Surinam/Anagram) taking the mic with some roboticized metal machine vox on "White Light/White Heat" and "Sister Ray." But in the middle of it all was this song, which will probably be remembered as the night's signature moment, with The Viletones' Steven Leckie's sensitive and poetic reading of one of Reed's most tender songs.

Bonus! If that's not enough for you, I've made the entire tribute night available to download.