Loudon Wainwright III: Surviving Twin

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.

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'

Anyone familiar with LWIII's work will verify the brutal honesty which define his lyrics, sharing his trials and tribulations with those who want to listen. This is a magnificent piece of theatre, intimate, honest, funny and embellished by Loudo's tongue in cheek style of narration. But also present is the rich prose of his father's writing, juxtaposed with his son's singing. Well worth a watch.

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.

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.