Tuli Kupferberg benefit concert

Wonder of wonders, who would have thought when the Fugs started in 1964 that the New York Times would review a benefit for co-founder Tuli Kupferberg all these years later. He’s 86 and mostly blind now from recent strokes. So, friends did a benefit to raise money for his medical expenses. Among the performers were Lou Reed, Peter Stampfel, Laurie Anderon, John Zorn, most of Sonic Youth, and more.

Mr. Kupferberg is now an 86-year-old mode of resistance and possibility, still living in Manhattan, writing songs and poems.

Indeed he is. Here’s Tuli’s blog and You Tube channel. You should be so active when you’re 86.

He did tape a 10-second video message thanking the audience, though, which was played on a screen. “Now go out there and have some fun,” he said, with a strange smile. “It may be later than you think.”

In honor of that sentiment, here’s Carpe Diem (Seize the Day) by the Fugs in 1965. That’s the other co-founder Ed Sanders with Tuli (r.) in the photo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqJDJxGbUN4