Lenny Kaye Brings His Past and Present to ZebulonLenny Kaye is loved by a lot of people. Proper fans of N.Y. punk poet Patti Smith know that Kaye has been working with her from the very beginning, Horses and all. Some would argue that he's equally respected for the Nuggets compilation of "original artyfacts from the first psychedelic era 1965-1968." That album was released in 1972, though it was later blown up into a series of CDs and, in 1998, an awesome four-CD box set. Many of us rock 'n' roll fans not around in the '60s discovered the Strawberry Alarm Clock, the Chocolate Watch Band, the Barbarians and so many others through Nuggets. For that, we're forever grateful.

When we learned that his new album, Goin' Local, is in fact his debut solo record, we had to double check. That felt weird, but it is true. Sorta. He had a band called the Lenny Kaye Connection for a while, so make of that what you will. Still, Goin' Local is the first under Kaye's name alone. We're happy he's done it -- there are some gems on the album, and Kaye played a few of them when he dropped into Zebulon, Los Angeles, in July.

Kaye opened with "Luke the Drifter" from the 1984 LKC album I've Got a Right, before the new record's title track. Other new highlights include "The Things You Leave Behind" (a hoarder's lament) and "World Book Day" (a nuggets-esque bit of twee, sweet, psychedelic garage.

"I see ‘The Things You Leave Behind’ as something that resonates with anyone who collects cultural objects and memorabilia. It reflects that instinct to gather things and the question of what to do with them over time," said Kaye, in a statement. 

Kaye takes time out to read from his book Lightning Striking, as well as Waylon, the autobiography of Waylon Jennings which Kaye co-wrote. The latter is a touching tale about Jennings' memories during his spell in Buddy Holly's band of the tragic plane crash

The set is dotted with covers, including the Velvet Underground's "Run Run Run" and The Box Tops' "The Letter," plus "Naked As the Day You Were Born," originally by the Weather Prophets and produced by Kaye. Opening artist Cindy Lee Berryhill returned to the stage to play The Barbiarians' "Are You a Boy Or Are You a Girl," which was on that Nuggets box set. Our favorite moment was "Ghost Dance," which Kaye recorded with The Patti Smith Group for the Easter album.

All in all, a wonderfully intimate, career-spanning night.The post Lenny Kaye Brings His Past and Present to Zebulon first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.