It's a David Bowie classic called "Heroes," but it is perfomed by cabaret singer and performance artist Tammy Lang, better known as Tammy Faye Starlite.
She has a different take on the song, performing it as Christa Päffgen, known by her stage name Nico, the German singer who gained notoriety in the 1960s.
"Her interpretation comes from in a sense, her lack of interpretation. It's not phony, it's not put on, and I think that's one of the reasons why I love her," Starlite said.
What You Need To Know
- "Nico: Underground" is a show at Joe's Pub in Greenwich Village starring cabaret singer and performance artist Tammy Faye Starlite
- In the show, Starlite becomes Nico, the German singer who once sang with The Velvet Underground in the 1960s
- Starlite spent the better part of five years developing the original script of the show
- The show runs on four Wednesday evenings from May 1 through May 22
The cabaret singer performs as Nico in a show called "Nico: Underground" at Joe's Pub in Manhattan on four Wednesday evenings from May 1 through May 22.
Nico was model, actress and singer who caught the eyes and ears of Andy Warhol. She was the lead singer in three songs on the debut album from The Velvet Underground, called The Velvet Underground and Nico.
Starlite based her show on a 1986 interview with Nico conducted by an Australian disc jockey.
"She didn't really live on this planet. To me, you couldn't have a give and take conversation with her. I mean, there are conversations with her, but sometimes she would pause for a very long time before answering or answer a question that you asked 10 minutes ago," Starlite said.
Starlite did a music video in 2020 as Nico performing Jackson Browne's "These Days."
The Upper West Side native hopes folks coming to the show will have fun, but also learn about a performer who didn't make hits, but left a legacy.
"It's about kind of honoring the full human being and the lives that don't get celebrated," Starlite said.