SoTD 11/9/2026: In The Night - Richard Lloyd

 

We've lost a real heavy-hitter. It's been happening far too much lately, but that doesn't make it hurt any less. There really was something divine Richard Lloyd tapped into with his guitar-playing... I come back to words like "shimmering" and "glistening" whenever I discuss his work in and out of Television with others, and that feels like the closest I can get to describing his sound... yet the idea of merely describing his sound falls flat right out of the gate, as it was meant to be heard, not recounted. Listen.

Zo and I saw Richard live at the Bovine Sex Club downtown in 2023. Really wasn't that long ago, all in all. It was a very nice, intimate show. Night Finger (a local favorite of mine) opened for him. It wasn't too long after Tom Verlaine's passing, and he dedicated the penultimate number of the night, Venus, to his memory. Venus is my favorite Television song, and one of my favorite songs period. I'm not religious, but hearing a song like that always convinces me there surely must be a God, somewhere out there, looking after us. It was an incredibly special experience to hear the song played live by one of its principal architects, and I will treasure that memory forever. 

Safe travels, Richard!

Our view of Richard Lloyd at the Bovine, March 2023.