Nardwuar
The Human Serviette: Doot Doola Doot Doo … Doot Doo! (Alternative Tentacles)
There’s a moment when Nardwuar, the hyper Canadian journalist and radio personality, is interviewing the White Stripes, and he pauses his high-pitched barrage of questions to unveil a gift – a wall-sized poster of Bob Seger, circa Stranger in Town. It’s the look on Meg and Jack’s face that’s really choice: disgust mixed with bewilderment. Nardwuar gets that look a lot. On this 2-disc set, spanning roughly 15 years, his gonzo style (interviews always start “Who are you?”) proves relentless when interviewing a visibly perturbed Henry Rollins, but he never fails to ask the tough questions, whether it’s Slayer (“Do you guys like yogurt at all?”) or Geddy Lee (“If you were a dog, what breed would you be?”). And Nardwuar is unflinching when Graham Coxon of Blur threatens to throw him out a window. What’s most impressive is his music knowledge, and the process of winding up his subject with needling nonsense and then asking a thoroughly researched question. Live footage of Nard’s bands the Evaporators and Thee Goblins is a nice respite from his antics, especially the former’s classic video for “Addicted to Cheese.” Nard’s an entertainer, and this DVD is rife with moments of absurdity. That said, watch in small doses, or your ears will bleed.
This article appears in June 30 • 2006.