One of my heros calls it quits

Silver Jews decide to call it quits.  That's correct, read the post here (be sure to read the rest of the posts to see who Berman's dad really is, shocking!!!). I hate to hear it since they have just started touring the past few years.  I do have to say that the past few albums' country flare has not been my favorite.  I tend to lean towards the whimsical pop of American Water or the dark awkward flavor of The Natural Bridge and Starlite Walker.  I even like the noisy mess of Arizona Record.  

Arizona Record, Dime Map of the Reef and the demo tape A Trillion Story Walkup had a huge influence on me and my music.  Hearing these songs after I had already fallen in love with all of the Pavement and Silver Jews albums (pre-American Water & Brighten the Corners, Terror Twilight)  made me realize it wasn't too late for me to learn how to play music (at 17-18 years old most of my friends that were musicians had been playing for at least 5 years, if not longer.)  The other factor was the cryptic liner notes on the Arizona Record mentioning Morgan City, MS, which was literally 20 minutes from where I grew up and lived at the time.  It felt like these guys knew where we came from.  "I see you gracefully swimming with the country club women, in the Greenwood south side society pool, I love your limitless eyes and your protestant thighs, you're a shimmering socialite jewel."  That line spoke to us in so many ways.

My friends and I would constantly cover Silver Jews songs (New Orleans, Secret Knowledge of Backroads, Pet Politics, How to Rent a Room, Buckingham Rabbit, Honk If You're Lonely, The Wild Kindness, Random Rules).  Even today I find myself going back to some of these songs and wanting to revisit them, maybe for an EP?

Anyways, I'm proud to say that I was at both of the Atlanta shows (first one at the Earl and second one at Variety Playhouse), I own every thing they put out (on vinyl & CD), I have two copies of his book of poetry "Actual Air" and I was even at the reading he did in Oxford, MS at On the Square Books.  As I sit here writing this I am trying to figure out a way to make the last show at Cumberland Caverns in TN next weekend.  I have already made plans to be in Memphis next week for a show on Friday night.  Who knows... 

Thank-You David Berman.  I can't think of a better way to gracefully go out for a band that never played live than to do two rounds of tours.  I'm just glad I made it for both.