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Silver Jews

Berman defies keratoconus

By LUCY BARBER

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For nearly two decades, poet David Berman has been releasing music with the Silver Jews, but only recently did Berman feel it necessary to tour—he was long considered indie rock's main homebody. Now, with a new album (Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea), he is hitting the road again. We tracked him down in Nashville, Tenn. via email.

You've described the new album as being heroic. Where did this come from?

Maybe from immersion in Jewish wisdom. The proverb "Don't be scared when you have no other choice" saw me through a couple of times.

It's also the most romantic of your albums yet. How is it working out with your wife?

I found her in the romantic classifieds of Bass Player Magazine.

How was the studio experience different for the new album?

It was very involving ... too much 'volving. That partly comes from working in Nashville. You can take your time, so you do.

You seem very excited about touring. Is that a new thing?

The first time I toured I was pretty overwhelmed. I had my eyes closed during part of it. This time I'm looking forward to keeping my eyes open and watching what there is to see.

You've said that the title is a pun on your own eyesight. Can you elaborate?

The pun is originally on Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, the mountain in the east part of the state from which you can see many states. It also echoes the lyric from The Band, "Look out, Cleveland," and "Look out, Houston." It also echoes the Pavement album Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Then there is the homophone: Lookout "See." I had a cornea transplant last January 2007. My cornea had a growth on it called a keratoconus that turns the normally dome-like cornea into a gnarled mountainous growth that distorts the light that passes through into a soapy window.

SILVER JEWS

WITH HALLELUJAH THE HILLS AND

WHO SHOT HOLLYWOOD

FRIDAY 9.5.08

MIDDLE EAST DOWNSTAIRS

480 MASS. AVE., CENTRAL SQ.

CAMBRIDGE

617.864.3278

8PM/18+/$15

MIDEASTCLUB.COM

SILVERJEWS.NET


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