Even in the radical Manhattan New Wave scene of the early 1980s, Klaus Nomi (née Klaus Sperber) was perceived as an alien. If his outlandish Dada-inspired outfits didn’t command your attention, then his voice surely did. A trained operatic soprano, Nomi was ahead of his time even in the classical world, and found pop music his only outlet for expression. After debuting his odd vocal talent at a low-rent vaudeville show, he became surrounded by eager impresarios. They created elaborate and otherworldy sets for his act, while Nomi developed his own bizarre alter-ego to escape within. The combined result was a spectacle that drew sold-out crowds in the artsy East Village, but not surprisingly failed to catch on big elsewhere. After some brief glimpses of stardom (appearing with David Bowie on Saturday Night Live, launching a European tour), he became increasingly frustrated by his lack of real fame. Loneliness also plagued him as he fell deeper into his impersonal “no me” character. Nomi met a tragic end fitting his dramatic lifestyle, leaving his potential unrealized. His legacy consists of only a handful of poorly representative albums, and the inspiration for “Sprockets” style spoofs. Andrew Horn’s documentary presents live and candid footage of varying qualities, as well as interviews with bandmates, friends and family. DVD extras abound, with lots of full-length live footage and a New Wave primer. It’s a good time capsule of a scene and persona that make me wish the new century had anything so spectacular.

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