Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Hear Macaulay Culkin's Pizza-Obsessed Velvet Underground Cover Band
By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 7, 2013
Modified Dec 7, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 7, 2013
Modified Dec 7, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
We all need our hobbies—some people like to promote prostitution, some collect explosives, others obsess over Seinfeld. As for actor Macaulay Culkin, his hobbies apparently include changing all the lyrics of Velvet Underground and Lou Reed songs to pizza references, and playing those covers with his band, The Pizza Underground.
Above, you can hear the only lo-fi recording from the band, which was "recorded live at Macaulay Culkin's house on November 11, 2013." The medley, on which Culkin is credited for playing "percussion/kazoo/vocals," includes "Papa John Says" ("Stephanie Says"), "I'm Beginning to Eat the Slice" ("Beginning To See The Light"), "Pizza" ("Sweet Jane"), "I'm Waiting for Delivery Man" ("I'm Waiting For The Man"), "Cheese Days" ("These Days," written by Jackson Browne for Nico, so we guess this counts), "Pizza Day" ("Perfect Day"), "All the Pizza Parties" ("All Tomorrow's Parties"), "Pizza Gal" ("Femme Fatale") and "Take a Bite of the Wild Slice" ("Walk On The Wild Side").
In addition to Culkin, the band includes Phoebe Kreutz, Matt Colbourn, Deenah Vollmer, Austin Kilham. The group, which has a very amusing Tumblr along with a Twitter account and a Bandcamp page, seems to have emerged in the days right after Reed died, so sure, we all mourn in our own ways. It's played at least one show at Sidewalk Cafe in honor of Reed (and a few other after parties and such things), but it's unclear whether they plan on performing their pepperoni and mushroom-obsessed tunes for a wider audience. We guess we'll have to see whether people are craving it enough to want a pizza it in their lives.
Tagged
macaulay culkin
Music
pizza
pizza underground
velvet underground
what
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
NYC music in October: The Strokes, a Blink-182 cover band, and Polish experimentalism
An excellent and diverse month of concerts are in store for October.
By
Hank Shteamer
Published Oct 2, 2026
Are you a New Yorker? The Department of New Yorker Verification will now decide.
There is now an (un)official verification process for those who can claim the title of city resident.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
Are you a New Yorker? The Department of New Yorker Verification will now decide.
There is now an (un)official verification process for those who can claim the title of city resident.
By
Hannah Frishberg
In the mood for a pastoral autumn experience? Try Queens.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
October is spooky season at the movies in New York City
By
Emma Stefansky
At the Museum at FIT, an argument for dolls as the ultimate fashion influencers
By
Quinn Moreland
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .