The Nomi Song

Seeing as it was Andy Warhol who originally made that quip about everyone having 15 minutes of fame, it's only appropriate that the embodiment of that prediction should be someone from Warhol's own orbit. And “orbit” is the right word, as Klaus Nomi really wanted us to believe that he was not of this world (“We came from outer space/To save the human race” was one of his lyrics). Actually, he was from Essen, Germany: born Klaus Sperber, Nomi was a clean-cut young man with a talent for pie-baking (really) who came to New York in the mid-1970s and cultivated the kind of outrageous look that was de rigueur in the Warhol-centered underground art crowd (“I was impressed with his level of androgyny,” says one pal). Nomi also sang in a finely-honed falsetto that bore a striking resemblance to the operatic sopranos he'd listened to as a child, and combined elements of German expressionist decadence, ‘50s sci-fi, gay cabaret, and pop music (Lou Christie's “Lightning Strikes” was a perfect choice) in his act. Looking like an alien and singing like a diva--as the press release puts it--helped Nomi develop a cultish following. But the big breakthrough that was supposed to follow a gig as David Bowie's backup singer on Saturday Night Live didn't happen, and Nomi succumbed to AIDS in 1983. In the end, filmmaker Andrew Horn's The Nomi Song is most of all a sad if also slight tale of what happens in a world where image and appearance matter more than talent and content. DVD extras include a director's commentary track, deleted scenes, complete live performances, audio remixes, and more. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (S. Graham)