Her mocking smile says it all

Every once in a while, I am going through a Marlene Dietrich phase, watching movies (or my favourite parts of them), re-reading books (I just ordered some more from Amazon), listening to some songs, but most of all looking at photographs, Dietrich's face perfectly sculpted by light. I love those precisely constructed compositions for their artificiality and irreality and probably for the same reasons they are the exact opposite of my own photographic style. But then the perfect images cannot grab my attention for very long and I turn towards the rarer to find candid photos that might reveal the woman behind the image.

Looking up from reading Steven Bach's Marlene biography I contemplate the empty space on my wall and whether a Marlene photo or poster would be the appropriate decoration that could keep me inspired. I am rather unfit to make simple decisions like this and it takes me ages to actually get these things done (as if a poster could not be removed ;). And I sure cannot think about it without having the complete lyrics of Suzanne Vega's "Marlene On The Wall" spinning 'round in my head, a song forever engraved in my memory. Although many think Vega's second album "Solitude Standing" featuring the breakout hit "Luka" is her best, I personally prefer her self-titled debut to any other album she made. Maybe I just have a knack for debut albums (like Patti Smith's "Horses"). But then it is exciting to hear something fresh and - literally - unheard of.

When Suzanne Vega's first album came out in 1985, everyone that I knew loved it. The music may not be up to par with the elegantly crafted lyrics but the clever arrangements and the distinctive guitar sounds produced by Lenny Kaye make them sound interesting, even more than 20 years later. To promote her album, Vega went to Europe and did some small-club gigs, the kind that is mostly targeted at journalists to "spread the word". She debuted in Hamburg at the Café Schöne Aussichten, a perfect location for such a rather intimate performance. Opening the show with her a cappella rendition of "Tom's Diner", she displayed a healthy dose of self-confidence from the first minute on. Her witty between-songs banter and her flawless performance charmed everyone in the room.

Between soundcheck and concert, I had the opportunity to take some pictures of Suzanne Vega. I opted for a park bench outside the venue, even though that meant using the (until this day) much-hated flashlight. For me, both the portraits and the live photos reflect the excitement and the lightheartedness of that moment where bigger success was on the horizon but everyone was simply enjoying it, there and then.

Suzanne Vega
Café Schöne Aussichten
Hamburg, Germany
October 15, 1985

This pic actually sucks. But it was the kind of "let's take a quick visual note: who, where, when". Still works ;)

Suzanne Vega
Café Schöne Aussichten
Hamburg, Germany
October 15, 1985

Suzanne Vega live
Café Schöne Aussichten
Hamburg, Germany
October 15, 1985

I'm a sucker for dimples...

newspaper article in Hamburger Morgenpost
published October 19, 1985
text and photo by Moni Kellermann

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Links:
Suzanne Vega Official Website
video: Suzanne Vega - Marlene On The Wall (live, Bukarest, 2009)
Poolside Marlene (my current fave Dietrich pic)
video: Marlene Dietrich - Hot Voodoo - live performance from the movie "Blonde Venus" (1932)