Wow, the first thing that pops into my mind when I see an interview like this is, how did this come about? I mean this seems an exorcise in contrasts in that the woman doing the interview comes across as all softness and light and of course David is...well...kind of like an open wound and off in some pretty dark corners. Now, sometimes this kind of thing can be a wonderful way to get to some interesting things because you are getting two people coming from some very different angles as they explore things so, fair game that. 

I guess the thing that I have always identified with in terms of David is the open wound thing and the idea that life hurts and if you are an intelligent and aware sentient being...well...you will understand there is no dream life, there is no permanent state of happiness, and you are always going to have to live with knowing things are pretty fucked up. Essentially, the more intelligent and aware you are, the more pain you are opened up to. I've always kind of felt that people that are self obsessed or unaware are that way because it is essentially a defense mechanism to survive as a human being. 

You know, so much of what people cling to is basically insulation to help them get through the goddamn battering life in general is. 

That probably comes across as depressing and really I am not about to slit my wrists here or anything but it just seems the reality of things...to me. 

One of my favorite conversations with David was at the bar in Newton and we talked about his Triage album. Basically, the whole concept of the record was, in my mind, spot on. We discussed that and I was absolutely thrilled that he was coming at it from the same place I landed when I heard it. Life is just a series of moments and then one of them kills you and you best love someone or something before you land at that last moment. It's about the only thing that determines what sort of life you have had. 

I've not made it all the way through the interview yet but I will try to finish it later tonight. 

Apart from the subject matter I could not help cracking up when in the midst of the interview David gets up and goes back to bed. Just sort of random and hilarious and I mean really a sign of the times. I always seem to get a major laugh when I watch or listen to a Baerwald interview.

There was that other guy that interviewed him and in the midst of the interview David talks about smoking mushrooms and the guy says something like "Well, you are not on mushrooms now though, right?" and you hear a lighter and inhaling and David says "Yes, I am." and the interviewer seemed stunned to realize he's been interviewing this guy for an hour and never knew. 

In truth, I'm not sure anybody I've heard interviewing him knew what they were getting into, Dan.