What was the first concert you ever saw?
The first concert I went to was John Denver when I was a kid. If I said it was in Germany (it was), would that be more forgivable?
What CDs are in your changer right now?
The Pogues, Red Roses for Me and Rum, Sodomy and the Lash; Gogol Bordello, Super Taranta!; the first two Interpols; and Mozart, The Magic Flute, are all currently in high rotation.
How many total albums do you own (CDs, vinyl, cassettes, 8-tracks)?
600-ish.
Do you download music, and if so, legally or illegally?
I don't download. I like liner notes, and I like to hold the things I purchase.
What was the first album you owned?
My older brother bought me an Alice Cooper album circa 1977. The first album I purchased was The Cars, Candy-O.
What song would you like to have played at your funeral?
"The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn" is too obvious, I guess. "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport," perhaps, but it's even more obvious. I'll go with "Fisherman's Blues" by The Waterboys.
Musically speaking, what do you love that your friends don't know about? What's your favorite guilty pleasure?
I still love the Go-Go's.
What band or artist changed your life, and how?
I embarrassingly admit that Billy Idol changed my life. He led me to punk via Gen-X. Until then, I was a total victim of popular culture.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
The Cars, Candy-O.