What was the first concert you ever saw?
Johnny Cash and the Carter Family, Portland Coliseum, 1969.
What CDs are in your changer right now?
I listen to new music on my old radio station www.ktru.org, plus these songs lately (on CDs and LPs): David Johansen, "Frenchette"; Chris Montez, "The More I See You"; Public Enemy, "911 Is a Joke"; Roxy Music, "In Every Dream Home a Heartache"; Oneida, "Sheets of Easter"; Nirvana, "Lithium"; Jim Stafford, "My Girl Bill"; Dionne Warwick, "Trains and Boats and Planes"; The Baptist Generals, "Unimaginative."
How many total albums do you own (CDs, vinyl, cassettes, 8-tracks)?
900ish: 15 percent cassettes, 50 percent LPs, 35 percent CDs.
Do you download music, and if so, legally or illegally?
I have a couple of times, legally, from band sites.
What was the first album you owned?
Cat Stevens, Teaser and the Firecat.
What song would you like to have played at your funeral?
"Gracias a la Vida" by Mercedes Sosa.
Musically speaking, what do you love that your friends don't know about? What's your favorite guilty pleasure?
Gospel? Guilty pleasure: singing along to AM radio while I'm driving.
What band or artist changed your life, and how?
I saw Sun Ra in 1980, almost by accident. He and his Arkestra transcended the concept of "giving a concert." Since then, I've sought out live music--you gotta be there!
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
Tom Waits, The Early Years, Vol. I ,or Marvin Gaye, Here, My Dear.