Warhol was not afraid to bore people. So says Dean Wareham by phone from New York. Were talking about the hundreds of short black-and-white screen tests Andy Warhol made in his Factory during the 60s. Most of his subjects, of course, were not bound for Hollywood stardom. But with his wife and musical partner, Britta Phillips, Wareham has made a selection from the archive, including some familiar faces (hello, Dennis Hopper), for their 13 Most Beautiful Songs for Andy Warhols Screen Tests. Though, back in his old Luna days, Wareham contributed a song to I Shot Andy Warhol, he wasnt well versed in the screen tests. I guess I didnt really know that much about them, he says. No one has seen them much. Only what weve all glimpsed in movies, like Bob Dylan storming out of his [test]. If you try to look for them on YouTube, theyre not there. Indeed, it was Pittsburghs Andy Warhol Museum, which controls the films, that approached Dean & Britta with the idea of scoring them. Wareham recalls, A difficult part of the process was narrowing it down. I guess he shot 400 or 500 of them. I just went down to the museum a couple of times and started looking through the tapes. Among those who made the final 13 are Nico, Edie Sedgwick, Ingrid Superstar a lot of those people are dead. Of the 13 we scored, five of them have died too early. I cant help thinking, standing on stage and playing these songs and looking at their faces, its sad. But the new music isnt funereal or biographical, he adds: I dont want to sum their lives up in a pop song. Were just trying to bring out whatever mood is there. Sometimes a pop song works for that. Of the 13, eight have lyrics and five are just instrumental. We think of it as a rock show. [NOTE: THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT.] BRIAN MILLER
Fri., Feb. 6, 7 p.m., 2009
