My fascination with the New York Dolls began a couple of years ago upon watching the documentary New York Doll. I had heard of the New York Dolls, and I knew who Buster Poindexter was, but I hadn't ever really known much about them. I was really drawn in by the story. The main focus of the documentary was the band's bassist, Arthur "Killer" Kane. Kane went from being a rock star with all of the excess that goes along with it to a humble meek librarian at the Mormon Family History library. I haven't been down the rough paths he traveled, and I don't ever intend to become a Mormon, but there was something that was really touching about his journey. He hit a high point early on in his life. He subsequently spent what he would have considered far too many years trying to return to those heights. Eventually, he realized that life wasn't found in chasing that old Killer. He was content with just being Arthur. The story doesn't necessarily have a happy ending. In 2004, 22 days after reuniting with the Dolls for their first show in many years, Arthur Kane died of leukemia.
All that said, I didn't want to miss what I figured would be my only chance to see what is left of the New York Dolls. Knowing that they only have 2 remaining members made it almost seem like a different band. The show Sunday night at the Granada ended up being much better than I expected. All in all, they probably sound better now than they did back in the day. They are certainly tighter musically, and David Johansen's voice sounds about as good as it ever had (which isn't that great). They played with attitude to a crowd that loved everything they did. It was a great night.
