Klaus Nomi on 'Real People,' 1979

My friend Max sent me this link. Click the header there to see a segment on the famous NYC Fiorucci store from the 1970s American TV show Real People. (That show was sort of the way we eavesdropped on other people’s lives through our TVs long before we had YouTube and tumblr.) Clips of this segment were used in The Nomi Song. Klaus talks and sings a bit of “Lightning Strikes,” Joey talks about painting his face everyday, other scenesters talk, and there are lots of reactions from bystanders watching the Fiorucci crowd dancing in the store window. A lot of the bystanders weren’t getting it, but there’s one lady who seemed pretty into it… I’ll bet she went in and bought herself some black lipstick and a two-tone bodysuit immediately after her interview. ;)

In the comments section there are a couple of interesting anecdotes about that whole scene. The video and those comments make me feel a bit jealous (not for the first time) that I was only six years old and living several states to the south at the time. I know people like to talk about how dangerous New York City was in the 1970s, but from a musical and artistic standpoint it must have been magnificent to behold.

Here are Joey Arias and Klaus Nomi in a video still from their performance singing backup for David Bowie on Saturday Night Live in 1979. I’m so old that I saw this live on TV as an impressionable child, which explains a lot about me. :)

Here are Joey Arias and Klaus Nomi in a video still from their performance singing backup for David Bowie on Saturday Night Live in 1979. I’m so old that I saw this live on TV as an impressionable child, which explains a lot about me. :)

Klaus is seen in TV Party: The Sublimely Intolerable Show (by MVDfilm) - this is really just the first two minutes and they’re kind of milling about waiting for the actual show to start.

The person/people who posted this to YT made it so you can rent the whole thing for $1.99, a 72-hour rental, in case anyone is interested. I’m not affiliated with them, but I thought it might be of interest to fellow Nomiacs. :)

Guys, I’m sorry I have neglected this blog for so long. I’m going to try posting something at least a couple of times a week.

Casual Klaus out on the town

Casual Klaus out on the town

Debonair Klaus

Debonair Klaus

Don’t you wish you could have met Klaus and gotten his autograph? I know I do. This will have to do, until I find a way to hitch a ride on the TARDIS or something.

Don’t you wish you could have met Klaus and gotten his autograph? I know I do. This will have to do, until I find a way to hitch a ride on the TARDIS or something.

I wonder what Klaus Nomi would think of the iPod, Pandora, and all the other ways to listen to music now?

I wonder what Klaus Nomi would think of the iPod, Pandora, and all the other ways to listen to music now?

This is a screenshot I took of The Nomi Song, featuring Klaus singing “Falling in Love Again” during a scene from The Long Island Four.

This is a screenshot I took of The Nomi Song, featuring Klaus singing “Falling in Love Again” during a scene from The Long Island Four.

A watch that Nomi would love

I’m not someone who wears watches, preferring instead to use my phone, but this new Swatch must be mine. Do you see the reason? Dammit, I feel like such a sucker… all I did was tweet something about Swatch watches and I got an @ from the company itself. I used to have three of them in the ’80s and it looks like they’re back to doing fashion watches again. The bow ties, I mean, they’re calling my name!

NIGHTNIGHT by DEDDY