Never heard of Nardwuar the Human Serviette? Then you haven’t been near Vancouver, BC in a long time. I first met Nardwuar in the early 1990s, when he had a radio show Friday afternoons on the local college station. Since then he has become, against all odds, a beloved figure in certain circles; his popularity has steadily risen in Canada for almost 20 years here.
As I mentioned Nardwuar (real name John Ruskin) has made a name for himself as a celebrity interviewer of sorts. He has interviewed Alice Cooper, Beck, Snoop Dog, Sonic Youth, Henry Rollins, Jello Biafra, and Franz Ferdinand, amongst others. His non-music interviews include former Canadian PMs Paul Martin and John Chretien. He once asked faith healer Ernest Angley if there was a cure for the Summertime Blues. Another time, he asked Mikhail Gorbachev which world leader had the biggest pants. A media person once commented that his interviews are fascinating because he is the only interviewer he had met who honestly doesn’t care about what his celebrity subjects think about him.
There is probably going to be something about Nardwuar that annoys you. It may be his voice, his clothing or his band, The Evaporators. Like me though, I think you will come to appreciate Nardwuar. His love of music is matched only by his encyclopedic (get ready for some bizarre facts) knowledge of it. Nardwaur has been treated poorly by many of his subjects, but others, such as Snoop Dog, Thurston Moore, Jello Biafra, and Pharrell have really warmed to him.
In 1999 Nardwuar was hospitalized with a brain hemorrhage and the outpour of goodwill towards him was unbelievable. Even David Lee Roth sent a “get well soon” note. Nardwuar got well, dropped a bunch of weight, and continued on. As he enters his 40s he has become something of a squeaky, tartaned, pop culture fanatic national treasure.
Do doot a loot doot! (You’ll understand after the first interview.)
Pretty amusing. I’m still trying to figure out where they are that Lee Renaldo can just drive up mid-interview. Looks like a movie studio lot.
The car that Renaldo is driving cracks me up. Very punk!
I enjoyed this clip. I could see how this guy might get grating after a while, but he seems to have a joy behind what he does, which always helps.
What’s up with his Canadian version of “shave and a haircut”? Further, do they even use the term “bits” for 12 1/2 Canadian cents?
Wow, he’s like the Myron Cope of rock n roll. I think the locals love him, but the rest of us just think he’s another worthless Steelers fan with a funny voice. But I enjoyed it!
If you go to http://www.nardwuar.com you can see all his videos and stuff….there’s nothing particularly great about that sonic youth interview, it’s just the first one that popped up on a youtube search….