Loudon Wainwright III: Surviving Twin

LW III is of course his usual, self depreciating, caustic and amusing self which I love. But in many respects it is his reading of his father's writing that makes this such a joy.

LW Jr. Was obviously an erudite and observant man who wrote interesting articles about the times in which he lived and his relationships with his own father and children.

It would be great to be able to get a 'collected works'

I have blessedly enjoyed the music of Loudon Wainwright III for as long as I can remember, and his father's writing in Life Magazine long before that. The younger Loudon spins stories and song in this Netflix concert film, weaving the two together in a remarkable way on a solo theater stage. It's ninety minutes of poetry, really, in which the singing Loudon shares his fathers "The View From Here" columns from Life magazine, and then sings his own songs about fatherhood, and shared and broken lives. It's beautiful theater, and a wonderful concert, and a must watch for anybody who still remembers the elder Loudon, or enjoys the music of his son.

I thought the concept intriguing, and the production values were extremely high. Oddly, the show doesn't feature much of Loudon's extensive catalog of original songs. I thought the focus on his writer father was a great focal point for the first half, but the second half wanders a bit. Too much monologue and not enough music for my taste.

I'm not familiar with Loudon Wainwright III, and I'm not sure why I decided to watch this special. I'm glad I did it. The show is a mix of music and narrative, and it's truly beautiful and honest. Worth the time, and I recommmend it to everyone.

The music is fun, but man oh man who gives a crap about his family?

He go on endlessly, reading letters and recounting stories of a rich kid growing up rich and who really cares?

This is a total vanity piece that should not have been made. Neither his father nor mother was famous so there's no hook here. It's a bore-fest. Maybe if he was Bruce Springsteen's son you'd be interested. I still wouldnt.