thisiswhatyoushalldo

1. What’s a book that changed your life?

Slaughterhouse Five. Vonnegut gets so deep in his anti-war message and is a master of the spare prose that tells an incredible story.

2. If the world ends, what song would play in its end credits?

The closing credits from Sesame Street.

3. Seriously, how did anyone get anywhere without GPS?

Using my trusty map.

4. What’s the best music documentary you’ve ever seen?

Each year during the Thanksgiving period, I rewatch the Last Waltz. it still holds up, although, I still have no idea why Neil Diamond is in it but a great performance nonetheless.

5. If you run your own small country, what would be your number one rule?

Turn out the lights when you leave a room. This will be punishable by incarceration.

questions via @thatericalper

1. It’s October! What is your favorite part of autumn?

Crisp mornings, the smell of the leaves changing. I like the colors of the October sunset.

2. What are your thoughts on pumpkin spice?

It is overrated. It doesn’t have to be in everything. But here is a nice pumpkiny thing:

Russian Tea (an old recipe from my grandmother)

Steep 4 tea bags in a pot. Add half a cup of sugar and about a cup or so (to taste) of orange juice.

In a cloth bag or cheese cloth put in some whole cloves and allspice and some cinnamon (to taste)

Let the batch steep a bit to bring in the spice (about 4 or 5o minutes)

And voila, spice tea. Enjoy.

3. When the fall comes around, what song comes to mind?

Probably something from .38 Special because it was part of a heavy rotation high school mix listened to out in the parking lot before classes began.

4. What foods come back to the kitchen in the cooler months?

Baking up some artisan sourdough bread. Which sparks me to retrieve my starter from the back of the refrigerator and bring it back to life.

5. Is there a favorite fall movie that isn’t a Halloween/horror film?

Well, the obvious is October Sky.

1. What’s an underrated album by a really big artist?

“Ghost of Old Tom Joad” by Bruce. An acoustic folk album. It is so great.

2. If you had to wear one band t-shirt for the rest of your life, which one would it be?

My John Prine concert tour shirt. I love me some Prine.

3. What’s the best use of music in a film or TV show scene?

“Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” b Kenny Rogers and the New Edition in the dream sequence of “The Big Lebowski.

4. What discontinued thing do you really want to be brought back?

The Kitchen wall phone. It really kept the entire household together. My mother could have coordinated the invasion on Normandy with this phone and her address book. She didn’t need no stinkin’ smartphone.

5. What band or artist do you feel is massively underrated?

“Exile On Main St.” by The Rolling Stones. Panned by the critics it is a rock and roll gem.

(questions via @ThatEricAlper)

1. Who is a famous person that’s very talented but is also a piece of shit?

Gene Simmons. He can write a fine pop song but is generally a self-described ass hole, a sentiment many feel.

2. What is something in the 2010s that you miss?

Working at Sprint

3. What’s the stupidest thing that has a large fan base?

My first pass would be Professional Wrestling, but I think even more egregious.

4. What’s a song lyric that you completely misheard for a while?

“I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” by England Dan and John Ford Coley. I used to hear “I don’t want to talk about the linens” instead of “I’m not talking about movin’ in.” I know, it makes no sense.

5. What device, service, or app do you use to listen to music today?

Sirius and Spotify. It really has been a roller coaster for the last 20 years for media formats, hasn’t it? Cassettes, CDs, and then MP3s then over to Pandora, followed by all the streaming.