Psych! Lenny Kaye and all-stars polish ‘Nuggets’ at 50th anniversary show

BY EVERYNIGHT CHARLEY CRESPO | In 1972, two years before he would become Patti Smith’s guitarist, Lenny Kaye worked at a record store in New York City and wrote articles about music for various publications. He convinced the executives at Elektra Records to compile American psychedelic and garage rock singles that were released during the mid-to-late 1960s into a collection. “Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era” wound up becoming an inspirational album for the oncoming punk rock movement.

In 2014, Kaye assembled an all-star revue to celebrate the 40th anniversary of “Nuggets.” Nine years later, to celebrate the album’s 50th anniversary, Kaye put together a house band featuring guitarists Glen Burtnick, James Mastro and Jack Petruzzelli, bassist Tony Shanahan and drummer Dennis Diken. He also invited Peter Buck, Marshall Crenshaw, Juliana Hatfield, Ivan Julian, James Mastro, Bob Mould, Patti Smith and others to help him perform the album and additional similar songs live at City Winery NYC on July 28 and 29.

The two shows at City Winery NYC celebrated the release of “Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968 (50th Anniversary Edition).” The limited-edition, five-LP box set was released on April 22 for Record Store Day 2023. The City Winery concerts also raised revenue for Jesse Malin’s recovery fund.

The sets on both nights were similar, with five extra songs on the second night. Kaye led the house band and introduced guest performances. Patti Smith covered the Electric Prunes and the Leaves. Vicki Peterson of the Bangles and John Cowsill of the Cowsills covered the Beau Brummels and the Knickerbockers. Steve Wynn of the Dream Syndicate and Peter Buck of R.E.M. covered the Moving Sidewalks and the Spades. Richard Lloyd of Television covered the Count Five and the Vagrants. Juliana Hatfield and Peter Buck covered the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band and Cherry Slush. Marshall Crenshaw covered the Third Bardo and the Magic Mushrooms. Glen Burtnik covered Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs. Joan as Police Woman covered the Magicians and the E-Types. Ivan Julian covered Love and the Music Machine. Bob Mould covered the Castaways and The Litter. Along with other performances, the second night featured new renditions of 34 songs from the early 1960s.

Set list:

1. I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) (The Electric Prunes cover, with Patti Smith)
2. Hey Joe (The Leaves cover, with passage from William S. Burrough’s “Queer,” with Patti Smith)
3. Do You Believe in Magic? (The Lovin’ Spoonful cover, with Tom Clark)
4. Dirty Water (The Standells cover, with Joe McGinty)
5. Laugh Laugh (The Beau Brummels cover, with Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill)
6. Lies (The Knickerbockers cover, with Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill)
7. Time Won’t Let Me (The Outsiders cover, with Tony Shanahan)
8. Road Runner (Bo Diddley cover, with James Mastro)
9. I Want Candy (The Strangeloves cover, with Tammy Faye Starlite)
10. 99th Floor (The Moving Sidewalks cover, with Steve Wynn and Peter Buck)
11. You’re Gonna Miss Me (The Spades cover, with Steve Wynn and Peter Buck)
12. First Cut Is the Deepest (Cat Stevens cover, with Mary Lee Kortes and Eric Ambel)
13. Baby, Please Don’t Go (Joe Williams’ Washboard Blues Singers cover, with Mary Lee Kortes and Eric Ambel)
14. Respect (Otis Redding cover, The Vagrants version, with Richard Lloyd)
15. Psychotic Reaction (Count Five cover, with Richard Lloyd)
16. It’s Cold Outside (The Choir cover, with Edward Rogers)
17. Crazy Like a Fox (Link Cromwell cover, with Lenny Kaye and Peter Buck)
18. I Won’t Hurt You (The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band cover, with Juliana Hatfield and Peter Buck)
19. I Cannot Stop You (Cherry Slush cover, with Juliana Hatfield and Peter Buck)
20. Outside Chance (The Turtles cover, with Dennis Diken)
21. I’m Five Years Ahead of My Time (The Third Bardo cover, with Marshall Crenshaw)
22. It’s-A-Happening (The Magic Mushrooms cover, with Marshall Crenshaw)
23. Wooly Bully (Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs cover, with Glen Burtnik)
24. Invitation to Cry (The Magicians cover, with Joan as Police Woman)
25. Put the Clock Back on the Wall (The E-Types cover, with Joan as Police Woman)
26. Open My Eyes (Nazz cover, with Jack Petruzzelli)
27. Pushin’ Too Hard (The Seeds cover, with Ivan Julian)
28. Talk Talk (The Music Machine cover, with Ivan Julian)
29. My Little Red Book (Burt Bacharach cover, with Lenny Kaye, and Vicki Peterson)
30. 7 and 7 Is (Love cover, with Tony Shanahan, and Vicki Peterson)
31. Sleep Walk (Santo & Johnny cover, with Vicki Peterson)
32. Liar, Liar (The Castaways cover, with Bob Mould)
33. Action Woman (The Litter cover, with Bob Mould)

Encore:

1. Gloria (Them cover, with Linda Pitmon and most of the evening’s cast, minus Patti Smith and Ivan Julian)

For more of Everynight Charley Crespo’s coverage of the New York City music scene, check out his blog, The Manhattan Beat.