Lou Reed Doesn't Sweat It

Its hot and humid right now just about everywhere. It reminds me of when I first moved to New York to live (as opposed to all those times I visited and never took issue with the weather). I moved to NYC during one of the hottest and most humid summers of the decade (80s). During that time, I used to see Lou Reed on the street all the time.



For the huge Velvet Underground fan that I am, of course, this was a most exciting sighting. But there were some peculiarities about Mr. Lou Reed that I couldn't help but wonder about. He was frequently on a bicycle. No big deal; its a very efficient way to get around NYC in all that traffic. And how eco-conscious of him! Then there were some particularly bad hair days for Lou. There was the unfortunate period of time when he was sporting a mullet. (no pictures of that - by me, at least)



But the one thing I could never wrap my head around: he always but always wore a black leather motorcycle jacket. Even in July...even in AUGUST when the humidity was at its peak. And he never sweat - or he never showed signs of sweating. I figured he was part lizard or just exceptionally cool.



I am not the only person who observed this no sweating thing. My roommate when I first moved to NYC worked in a law firm serving entertainment clients, and one day, her firm had to depose one black-leather-clad Lou Reed in relation to a case they were working on. She said it was hotter than hell, but he was in black leather the whole time and never broke a sweat.