Silver Jews' David Berman Quits While He's Ahead

Silver Jews fans (which, if you're not already one, you've missed out) can forget about that fantasy they have in which, after a Jews show, they meet David Berman backstage and proceed to sit sipping whiskey all night talking about poetry, writing and depression. Or maybe that's just my fantasy.

Regardless, the Jews' braintrust, lyrical (if not musical) genius David Berman recently announced that he is moving on from music. A message board from his label Drag City revealed the following Berman gems:

"I guess I am moving over to another category. Screenwriting or Muckraking. I've got to move on. Can't be like all the careerists doncha know."

At least he left us with a bit of wit, writing: "If I continue to record I might accidentally write the answer song to 'Shiny Happy People.'"

For those of you in Pittsburgh, here is the point when you kick yourself (physically, if possible) for not shelling out the 8 bucks to see the fantastic Silver Jews show that Pitt's WPTS put on last fall.

As Berman only does (or, did...sigh) email interviews, here are the highlights from the e-conversation I had with him before that show:

GRE: Is a song just a poem that you write which happens to come to you with a melody? If not, how does the writing of both differ?

DB: My sit-down intent is different for each. Things don’t just come out of nowhere. I have to sit down and start to make them. That means taking a first step with nothing to go on but hope and past positive experiences. In the terms of weekend hobbies: Poetry is like painting in the laundry room. Songwriting is like building a motor in the garage.

GRE: How do you see your need to write as both a blessing and a curse?

DB: It’s a curse in that it involves anxiety that I imagine would be lessened in a line of work that everyone didn’t consider themselves to be an expert on. Everyone thinks they have good taste in music. Everybody is, somewhere inside, an expert on music. But it’s blessing all the way down from there.

GRE: Here's a classic debate: Why does the most boring music get the most play by fans and press? If independent rock is so good, why isn't it more mainstream?

DB: Because the masses are asses. Der oilem iz der goilem.