Ageism, Lou Reed's Lulu, Madonna's Tongue and Jazz Fest

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Lou Reed and Metallica’s ill-fated collaboration Lulu is a record we’d all like to forget exists. Critics panned it like crazy when it came out, smacking it around like negative-review batting practice. As Pitchfork contributor Jeremy Larson pointed out in a piece for Consequence of Sound, some of the hottest of these hot takes likened 2011’s Lulu to "your dad’s drunk friend reciting his self-penned erotica over a melting Reload cassette" and "bleating like a dementia-stricken uncle." In a rare 1.0 rating, this website used the word "crotchety" to describe Reed’s lyrics.

The choice of loaded words make it clear: ageism comes out when we're confronting (weird) work our heroes are making "past their prime", when we struggle to make space for their work in the now. 

The art-rock legend, who died of liver disease at 71, isn’t here to defend himself but, in a way, he got the last laugh: when Reed was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last week, celebrated performance artist (and Reed’s widow) Laurie Anderson cited David Bowie’s praise for the maligned LP. "This is Lou’s greatest work; this is his masterpiece," Anderson quoted Bowie. "Just wait, it will be like Berlin. It will take everyone a while to catch up." It’s unlikely that this will kick off a reconsideration of Lulu, but is a potent reminder of how omnipresent ageism is at every turn.

Ageism was certainly present in the way-too-freaked reactions to Madonna’s Kiss Heard ’Round the Web post-Coachella. Madonna—her artistry, like Reed’s, bred at similar New York art-and-club-world depths—seems to derive joy from causing audiences shock. If true, she must’ve been over the moon about how the highly performative kiss she planted on Drake played out.

"They're judging me by my age," she toldRolling Stone in February. "I don't understand. I'm trying to get my head around it. Because women, generally, when they reach a certain age, have accepted that they're not allowed to behave a certain way. But I don't follow the rules. I never did, and I'm not going to start."

Madonna wasn’t the only performer aging defiantly at Coachella. AC/DC headlined with their first live date in six years. Steely Dan’s Coachella exploits have been captured by Donald Fagen’s hilarious Coachella tour diaries in Rolling Stone, in which he clearlydoesn’tseem togive ashit about whether the Kids at Coachella know his music or not. Fagen’s diary entries make him seem cooler than most Coachella attendees a third his age—it’s certainly a better look than WEARING A HEADDRESS or disparaging Madonna’s looks.

Luckily, festival season offers a post-Coachella antidote to this kinda nonsense each year: the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Jazz Fest has defined the modern music festival template, more than Coachella or Lollapalooza—or any contemporary music festival that is commonly claimed as a standard bearer, certainly. Its 46th year kicks off this week with the first of two weekends. With approximately 20 percent of Jazz Fest attendees under the age of 25, it’s the best festival young people aren’t flocking to.

Here are some reasons to consider the Jazz Fest:

1. No age- or headdress-related foolishness. Jazz Fest’s attendees are all-ages, eight to 80, families flock. Legacy artists and their lineages are revered. The fest’s dedication and respect to the cultural heritages that make up New Orleans is unparalleled. At the center of the festival grounds is the Cultural Exchange Pavillon, which has featured cultural emissaries from Brazil, Haiti and Louisiana’s native tribes in recent years.
   
   
2. Unlike other large festivals, Jazz Fest never sells out. It’s also way less expensive. A single-day ticket is $70 at the gate, no taxes or fees. And a ticket is good for any one day that weekend. That means flexibility and less pressure to buy ahead of time—totally chill.
   
   
3. Young people need Jazz Fest. For all the discussion on the web involving cultural authenticity vs. appropriation and algorithm-assisted discovery of catalog music—outselling new music as of 2012—Jazz Fest is a great fit for young festival goers interested in cultural and musical exploration.
   
   
4. Jazz Fest features a few of the year’s hottest festival-circuit acts or summer tours but also goes its own way. You might not see Drake at Jazz Fest but you will see rap/R&B acts like T.I. and John Legend headlining, playing after New Orleans locals made good like bounce diva Big Freedia or Cash Money Records’ Juvenile and Mannie Fresh. Occasionally, Jazz Fest’s out-of-town headliners overlap with other large festivals (Florence and the Machine, Arcade Fire and Mumford & Sons have played in recent years) but it’s a mix of on- and very off-trend, traditional and local.
   
   
5. Contrary to its name, Jazz Fest isn’t even mostly jazz music but it’s a good place to discover it. The festival’s offerings are some the most diverse you’re likely to see ina single spot, a reflection of New Orleans’ music landscape today. This year’s lineup includes rap, gospel, rock, reggae, funk, country, bluegrass, blues, singer-songwriters and even hints of synth and electronic music. Pretty much whatever you listen to, you’re covered. Of course, there’s a huge tent dedicated to nearly every strain of jazz.
   
   
6. Wait, it’s called Jazz Fest and it’s not even mostly jazz? The old brand name carried over from years past, dude. Just go with it.