What was the first concert you ever saw?
MC Hammer at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. My friend and I went with his African-American hairdresser and her boyfriend. As a couple of Jewish kids in Phoenix, we felt like the coolest people in the universe.
What CDs are in your changer right now?
Johnny Cash, At Folsom Prison; Massive Attack, Protection; Freezepop, Future Future Future Perfect; Morrissey, Viva Hate; and The Clash, London Calling.
How many total albums do you own (CDs, vinyl, cassettes, 8-tracks)?
A few hundred CDs, about a dozen vinyl records and a handful of 8-tracks, mostly Richard Pryor and Steve Martin comedy albums.
Do you download music, and if so, legally or illegally?
As a member of the bar and an upstanding citizen, I do not download music illegally. Besides, I really prefer to have something physical as a memento of my purchase.
What was the first album you owned?
Alvin and the Chipmunks, Chipmunk Rock. ... There exists no better cover of Kim Carnes' "Bette Davis Eyes."
What song would you like to have played at your funeral?
Tears for Fears, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World."
Musically speaking, what do you love that your friends don't know about? What's your favorite guilty pleasure?
I absolutely love manufactured pop divas, from Madonna to Kylie to Gwen Stefani. It takes no small amount of skill and mad genius to craft a perfect pop song. (Look at Phil Spector!)
What band or artist changed your life, and how?
I fell in love with jazz listening to Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. I would never have spent hours a day playing trumpet throughout high school and college were it not for that discovery. I rediscovered Prince after college. He inspired me to nurture my creative impulses.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time? The Beatles, Revolver. All four members were firing on all creative cylinders on this album.
