What was the first concert you ever saw?
First concert: the Osmond Family, featuring Donnie and Marie, at the Utah State Fair, late '70s. Lots of sequins. First concert by choice: Billy Idol on his Rebel Yell tour, Tucson Convention Center arena, 1983.
What CDs are in your changer right now?
Gang of Four, Entertainment!; Conway Twitty, Conway Rocks; Nina Simone Sings the Blues; John Lurie, Down by Law soundtrack; Dolly Parton, Jolene.
How many total albums do you own (CDs, vinyl, cassettes, 8-tracks)?
Several feet of CDs, a closet full of vinyl, a couple of cassettes I'm sure won't play and 20-ish 8-tracks.
Do you download music, and if so, legally or illegally?
I like to support my local music retailers--who wants record stores to disappear?
What was the first album you owned?
Unbeknownst to my parents, my sister and I secretly joined the Columbia House Music Club and received eight albums for a penny--my first two picks were Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk by Meco and Parallel Lines by Blondie. We were both punished, but it was so worth it.
What song would you like to have played at your funeral?
"Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash.
Musically speaking, what do you love that your friends don't know about? What's your favorite guilty pleasure?
I'm an open wound in terms of guilty pleasures--I've got nothing to hide.
What band or artist changed your life, and how?
Discovering the Ramones as a geeky high school freshman convinced me that this wasn't a bad thing to be. Still isn't.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
Rain Dogs by Tom Waits. Please put the gun away.
