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Lou Reed Public Memorial Set for Thursday at New York’s Lincoln Center

Lou Reed, public memorial, New York, Lincoln Center

Ask rock music fans what they’re doing in New York City’s Midtown tomorrow, and the answer will probably be remembering Lou Reed. On Thursday (November 14), from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., an event called “New York: Lou Reed at Lincoln Center” will take place at Lincoln Center’s Paul Milstein Pool & Terrace, according to an official Facebook post. The description promises “a gathering open to the public — no speeches. no live performances, just Lou’s voice, guitar music & songs — playing the recordings selected by his family and friends.” No amputations, no computations, just rock’n’roll.

The former Velvet Underground frontman, who died at age 71 on October 27, has already been honored movingly by his widow, Laurie Anderson, along with John Cale, Patti Smith, David Bowie, and many others. And of course, it’s tremendously fitting the downtown Manhattan icon’s memorial has “New York” right in its name. In a song initially buried on 1986’s Mistrial and later included on 2004 live LP Animal Serenade (and recently highlighted by music critic Rob Sheffield), “Tell It to Your Heart,” Reed sings, “Please don’t be afraid / New York City lovers.” Maybe they’ll play it at the gathering.

Don’t miss SPIN’s exclusive coverage of Lou Reed and his legacy:

Lou Reed, R.I.P.: Hear His Legacy in 15 Tracks
Lou Reed: A Critical Discography
The SPIN Interview: Lou Reed
Lou Reed’s New York City: The Velvets’ Stomping Grounds, Today
Five Great Rap Songs That Sample Lou Reed or the Velvet Underground
Toesucker Blues: Robert Christgau’s Farewell Salute to Lou Reed
Dave Hickey on Lou Reed: ‘We Have Lost the Master of the Mundane and the Malicious’
The Little Giant: John Cameron Mitchell Remembers His Neighbor, Lou Reed
The Top 100 Alternative Albums of the 1960s