It has always been my dream as an aspiring entertainment journalist to meet my idol, fellow journalist and musician Nardwuar the Human Serviette. When my friend messaged me the night before about attending his show at Webster Hall, I knew that speaking with him and possibly interviewing him would be my mission. For those who may not be familiar with Nardwuar or his content, he is known for his very eccentric and unique interviewing style, where he always dives deep into the personal lives of his guests through detailed research. He does this by surprising them with gifts or stories that only a few people close to them might know. This part of his craft ensures that no interview is ever boring; there is always an element of surprise and care towards whoever he is speaking to. I truly think that this, along with his bright personality and his thorough research on who he is interviewing, allows Nardwuar to build a lot of friendships with his guests, resulting in recurrent and easygoing appearances. He has been one of my biggest inspirations in the journalism field because I donât see anyone doing what heâs doing. His individuality is refreshing, and because of it, I have never been to a show like âNardwuar the Human Servietteâs Video Vault.â
When you arrive at the show, there isnât an opener like at a comedy club or concert, but instead, a DJ. The DJ set by Jonathan Toubin was a soulful funk and â70s/â80s psychedelic sound, which is something I really enjoyed. He was really feeling the music and made the wait time for Nardwuar fly by. I was extremely impressed by his set because he was using original turnstiles, meaning he was spinning while multitasking, and it was amazing. His sound really fit Nardwuarâs vibe, and created a perfect transition for his entrance to the stage. Nardwuar made his way to the stage promptly at 8:15pm, with his cue cards and a mic in hand. He began by introducing himself and what he does as a journalist. One thing that really stood out that he mentioned was that Sept. 26 was his 39th year as a journalist, as his first interview was on the very same day in 1985. He then proceeded to talk about his experiences in the field and how hard it was for him at first. He mentioned how nervous he was for this show, every other show heâs done in the past, each time he has met someone, and during every interview. He was very open about his struggles with trying to get more guests and putting himself out there, and his honesty was beautiful.
Throughout the rest of the show, Nardwuar gave more advice and told more stories from his time in the industry, and throughout, he also showed unseen, old video footage from his interviews. You could sense the excitement in the crowd as old and new content of their favorite interviews with their favorite artists came up. As Nardwuar has been in the industry for decades, and has interviewed probably hundreds of people, he has fans from all ages and demographics. So, no matter whoâs interview he shared or gave extra insight on, there were always cheers and collective gasps from the fun facts he told us. We saw interviews highlighting viral clips of Grimes, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, Snoop Dog, Blac Youngsta, and many more. From punk, rock, pop, indie, funk, rap, to hip hop, Nardwuar knows the genre, has interviewed someone who makes music for it, and knows their fans. This type of show was very interesting in that sense, as you could meet people who are in the goth scene and are in their 30s, while there were also teenage boys who love the current rap scene, all there to pick Nardwuarâs brain.
And Nardwuar did let people pick his brain, including myself. Unlike most artists Iâve seen, Nardwuar physically came down into the crowd with a mic to tell some more stories, and for his Q&A. It was deeply personal, organic, and fun, unlike some other celebrities who may seem intimidating. I had my hand up for about 40 minutes before Nardwuar came up to me, and itâs a moment Iâll never forget. I grabbed the mic, introduced myself to him and a room full of hundreds of people, thanked him for being my inspiration as a journalist, and asked my questions. I highlighted how amazing it was to hear that he was nervous for interviews and shows, and that I was nervous speaking to him right now. Before I could even get to my question he leaned and grabbed the mic from me and said, âThatâs good, thatâs good; Iâm nervous too.â Although that didnât completely eliminate my nervousness while speaking to someone Iâve looked up to for most of my life, his comment did calm me down a little, to the point where I was actually able to ask my question: âWhatâs your advice for dealing with nervousness when interviewing people?â Nardwuar responded, âWell, I guess you do warm up [to them] eventually. But also just thinking, âhave I asked everything?â Who, what, when, where, and how. And I think if you think youâre doing fine â and also, writing stuff down â put a red mark around important things. Having notes as a backup is always great, there’s nothing wrong with notes; I have my notes,â he said, referring back to his notes he was holding onstage.
He made our time speaking together fun and conversational, which also calmed my nerves more. Next, I had to ask him about his interview with one of my favorite people in the world, Harry Styles. Nardwaur began to explain how nice Styles was and how he and his friend actually helped with the interview itself. He said, âThat was amazing actually. A friend of Harryâs actually helped arrange the interview and was there and actually held the camera for the interviewâŠI said, âHarry, youâd look good with some Nardwuar posters behind you; will you help me put up some Nardwuar posters?â And he did, which I thought was pretty cool. So he helped behind the âNardâ part of it all.â Hearing that story, something that wasnât out yet in the world, and being able to laugh and talk about it with my favorite journalist was so rewarding. Nardwuar continuously was extremely kind to me throughout the night. He kept checking in and asking me if he answered my questions well because he didnât want me to feel like I was leaving unanswered. Even at the end of the night, when we took a picture together, he asked if he answered my questions enough before thanking me for coming.
All my appreciation for Nardwuar has grown after his show. The show, unique and spontaneous in every way, was actually a refreshing break from my routine of going to concerts. I went with some people who arenât necessarily fans of Nardwuar in the way I am occupationally, but they had a lot of fun, because they got some clips from the vault of artists they liked. All in all, âNardwuarâs Video Vaultâ show is perfect for anyone of any age who likes music, because chances are, Nardwuar has interviewed your favorite artists. I feel like the main part of the show is obviously the Q&A with him, but also his storytelling and the advice that came with it. The way he authentically carries himself in his colorful, mix-matched patterned clothes and his whimsical-sounding voice is something that I have never seen before. I learned a lot about the journalism field from my favorite journalist, Nardwuar the Human Serviette, and itâs all because of his âVideo Vaultâ show.