10 Questions About Music

Answer honestly and try not to appear cool — it doesn’t work amongst friends. After answering, tag those whose musical taste you wish to know more about.

1. What are you listening to right now?
   As I’m writing this, I am listening to “What Would You Have Me Say” by Blue Sandcastle .
   However, if you want to know what I’m listening to right now, you can look at my playlist.
2. As a teenager, what was a band you were ashamed to admit to liking?
   As a very young teen, it was Men at Work.  Later, all of my friends and I were into “Alternative” music, but I still really liked Dire Straits too.
3. And today?
   Wow, there’s so much to be embarrassed by.  One that comes to mind is Avril Lavigne.  I got exposed when Carl’s daughters were teenagers and it just stuck.

Have you met an artist you admired? How did it go? I once literally bumped into Bono.  He was making a cell phone call on the street and wasn’t paying any attention.  When he hung up, he turned around and walked right into me.  He said, “Sorry mate.”  I didn’t say anything.  This was the day that U2 recorded “All Because of You” video in New York.  It was the day before Thanksgiving and later that night Deb and I were on our way to see the balloon blow up party at AMNH and it happened on 90th & CPW.   Since I didn’t say anything this hardly counts as having met him, but the story is definitely worth telling.  I didn’t say anything to Deb about it until a block later and she still bugs me about it. Also, just after I graduated from college, I worked as an audio technician for a company that did work for NPR.  I met several artists that I admire including Neil Young, B.B. King, Charles Brown and Bubba Hernandez.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have more than a few words with any of them. Finally, I’ve been friends with Courtney Taylor of the Dandy Warhols for a long time and can honestly say he is one of the nicest people I know.

1. Have you had dreams about bands or artists?
   I’m sure I have, but I can’t think of any.
2. What was your first gig attended?
   It was either the Ramones at Spit or 10,000 Maniacs at Malibu, but my first big-arena concert was The Alarm opening for Pat Benatar at Nassau Coliseum.
3. Which living artist have you not seen, but desperately want to?
   I can’t think of any, but I’ll let you know.
4. Which artist or what band would you like to resurrect and see live?
   Haven’t they all regrouped already?
5. Which song/riff/solo would you like to learn to play and sing just right?
   I don’t play or sing, so being able to play or sing anything even poorly would rock my world.
6. How many records do you own, or how many songs do you have in your iTunes?
   There are 5796 songs in my iTunes right now, but about a thousand of them are not in rotation.