Showtime does it again. Another captivating rockumentary by the network that has recently brought us the stories of Sinead O’Connor, Sheryl Crow, the Go-Go’s, the early aughts NYC scene, and New Order. It’s an imaginative film apropos for its subject, the musical iconoclast David Johansen. The inventiveness of the approach has much to do with director, Martin Scorsese (along with David Tedeschi) who has previously chronicled George Harrison, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones. Personality Crisis: One Night Only is more a concert film than the usual biopic. It features a live performance by Johansen interspersed with new and archival interviews. The front man for the groundbreaking New York Dolls who transformed into the lounge act alter ego, Buster Poindexter, has a lot to talk about.
It’s January 9, 2020, and David Johansen is celebrating his 70th birthday at the Cafe Carlyle in New York City. He’s there for an intimate evening of “Buster Poindexter singing the songs of David Johansen from his teen years to the present day.” The cabaret live performance is the foundation of the movie. It’s immediately apparent that Johansen is in his element on a stage. He’s a natural performer bantering with the small audience and sharing stories from all walks of his life, like prophetically hanging out with flamboyant theater actors at 16 years old. But this isn’t story telling or a comedy show, it’s a concert. And what a surprisingly great show it is! He’s a cool cat, still styling the pompadour, and snapping his fingers to the beat. The Boys in the Band Band are outstanding; the guitar, bass, drums, and piano all a beautiful complement to Johansen’s gravely, emotive vocals. The multiple concert songs are all allowed to shine in their entirety; the historical interludes occur in between songs.
Interviews and footage over the years reveal quite the assortment of life experiences: “starting” the punk movement at a show in Newcastle, England, “I had to go to jail in Memphis dressed like Liza Minnelli,” superfan Morrisey organizing a Dolls reunion tour in 2004, hosting his Sirius radio program, Mansion of Fun, auditioning for the movie version of the Broadway play Hair, and “the bane of my existence,” his conga-line big hit “Hot, Hot, Hot,” with the “Ole, ole, ole, ole” chorus.
The New York Dolls had extraordinary influence considering that the original lineup lasted only a few years with two albums. Despite a mixed reaction and poor album sales, they inspired Kiss, the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, Guns N’ Roses, The Damned, Motley Crue, and more. Johansen, Johnny Thunders (guitar), Arthur Kane (bass), Jerry Nolan (drums), and Sylvain Sylvain (piano, guitar) were a rock and roll band; one that portended punk and glam while bedazzling audiences in high heels, satin, makeup, spandex, and dresses. The film contains vintage performances of songs from 1973’s self-titled debut album, “Jet Boy,” “Trash,” “Lonely Planet Boy,” and the classic first song, “Personality Crisis.”
Personality Crisis is a little long at 2:07 and I would have enjoyed more on the early 70s heyday of the original band. But this is a movie about David Johansen, not the New York Dolls. Johansen’s 50-year career has experienced a few personality crises, but for him they have been opportunities for reinvention and ongoing good times. He likes “intelligent ridiculousness.” He wants to “bring the walls down and have a party.” “We call it playing music, not working music.” It’s a joy to watch him and his band still playing.
(Stream it on Showtime, Paramount +, or Amazon Prize Video.)
D² Rating ◼◼◼◩☐
Trivia: Who produced the landmark first album by the New York Dolls? (He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 and is best known for his 1972 album Something/Anything?)
Answer: Todd Rundgren