THE NOMI SONG

I'd never heard of Klaus Nomi until I saw the trailer for this documentary earlier this year, but I was immediately interested in what he was all about. The movie played briefly in LA, but now that it's on DVD, it was a bit easier to get a hold of.

Klaus Sperber came to America from West Germany in his teens in the late '60s. He grew up in a family that was always singing, so he developed this great operatic falsetto over the years, but really had no way to show it off. Luckily, in the mid/late 70's, American culture changed. Punk was everywhere and new-wave was an idea (before it became co-opted by record execs. Suddenly, people were expressing any original artistic idea they could think of and suddenly Klaus had a way to show off his chops. He created his alter ego, Klaus Nomi, complete with white kabuki makeup, pointed hairdo, outlandish costumes, and that amazing falsetto.

Originally part of a group of performance artists, he'd walk on stage and sing an aria before drifting backstage. His act was so well received that people instantly wanted to work with him. A rock band of sorts was formed and Klaus sang the verses in his normal voice before rising up to a high pitch for the choruses. New York ate it up and he became a star, releasing records, fooling around with David Bowie on SNL, playing to bigger and bigger audiences. All was going great, until he succumbed to the brand new killer in town later to be known as AIDS.

The documentary tells this basic story while embellishing it with lots of performances and anecdotes from those who knew him. Sometimes it feels like it's straining to make it a feature length film, but overall it's fascinating and ultimately heartbreaking. As Klaus' stardom grew, so did his ego, ditching former friends & bandmates without a moment's thought. But here was this amazing performer with an amazing shtick that really excited people, yet he was so outlandish that it kept him alone most of the time.

I'd say it's a good one to check out. If you want to know more, go to the official website.