THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
“I KEPT GOING BACK”
EYE WITNESS!
The band’s “fun” summer-long residency at NY’s Max’s Kansas City in 1970 – culminating in Reed’s final show with the band on August 23 – recalled
by LENNY KAYE
ALLAN TANNENBAUM/GETTY IMAGES; THEO WARGO/GETTY IMAGES
UPSTAIRS was separate from the rest of Max’s. There was a bar there and chairs in front of the stage. When they cleared out the chairs, if there were 100 people in thereit would feel way packed. AsI remember it, The Velvet Underground were the first people to play upstairs that summer.I think it was Thursday through Sunday. I went to the opening night – and when they extended the engagement,I kept going back!