On Tuesday night, Lawrencians donned their finest sweater vests, grabbed a beer, and plopped down into the auditorium seats at the Lawrence Arts Center for an unforgettable event. The legendary John Cale performed a low key and intensely intimate set as part of the Nine Forty Live series.

The Velvet Underground co-founder was welcomed with a standing ovation and proclamations of admiration from the audience. Ever the experimental artist, Cale’s smooth and soulful voice contrasted over a frantic and wailing guitar, leaving his fans in a tizzy. But his epically cool onstage demeanor left a path of complete adoration, and the respect oozing from the crowd for this artist was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Drakkar Sauna opened up the event and gave Cale a proper Lawrence welcome with their peculiar yet passionate folk melodies and a song about William Burroughs (below).