Berman: Sticking It To The Fan

I'd hate to have shown up for this... but, ha ha, I guess... jokes on the fans.

Ripped from Billboard (lots of other news there about, y'know, Springsteen and Enya)

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Silver Jews leader David Berman gave a rare public performance last night (Sept. 29) in New York, but befitting his unpredictable personality, did not actually play any music. Instead, the artist appeared in the self-penned play "Publicity Stunt," which was set in a psychiatrist's office adorned with paintings by Brooklyn-based artist Steve Keene.

Berman (playing himself) and Drag City labelmate Will Oldham (the psychiatrist) treated the small audience to about 20 minutes of mantras, ruminations, and non-sequiturs, before introducing an unnamed folk singer from Galway, Ireland, to play a few songs. Much to the crowd's chagrin, neither Berman nor Oldham joined in song.

Over the years, Berman and Oldham have dropped hints of an album-length musical collaboration, but last evening's play was the closest manifestation of such a project. As previously reported, the Silver Jews' new album, "Tanglewood Numbers," will be released Oct. 18 via Drag City.

-- Mark Groeschner, N.Y.