Silver Jews End-Lead Singer Bids his Well-Wishers Adieu

Hello, my friend.

Cassie and I went to the cave and it looks great. 58 degrees but the humidity makes it feel like 72.

I'm just going to play fifteen songs. My fifteen favorite ones.

A dollar per song. Plus Arnett Hollow. I don't

want to keep you underground for too long. Fall Creek Falls State Park State Lodge is great by the way.

Yes I cancelled the South American shows. I'll have to see the ABC Countries another way.

I guess I am moving over to another category. Screenwriting or Muckraking.

I've got to move on. Can't be like all the careerists doncha know.

I'm forty two and I know what to do.

I'm a writer, see?

Cassie is taking it the hardest. She's a fan and a player but she sees how happy i am with the decision.

I always said we would stop before we got bad. If I continue to record I might accidentally write the answer song to Shiny Happy People.

What, you thought I was going to hang on to the bitter end like Marybeth Hamilton?

love david

Last edited by DCB on Thu Jan 22, 2009 6:38 pm; edited 1 time in total

I wish you the best in all you do in the future. I'm excited for what it brings. Fortunate to see your show in St. Louis a couple years ago, and to have shaken your hand. Wish I could be at that cave. What a run. A great run.

-John

edit.
btw - appropriate or not, the first music my son ever heard in this world was LLTTTD... for some reason I thought you might like to know. just what happened to be in the car when we left the hospital. for some reason I've always remembered that. He's 6 now

Now that the Joos are over I can tell you my gravest secret. Worse than suicide, worse than crack addiction:

My father.

You might be surprised to know he is famous, for terrible reasons.

My father is a despicable man. My father is a sort of human molestor.

An exploiter. A scoundrel. A world historical motherfucking son of a bitch. (sorry grandma)

You can read about him here.

www.bermanexposed.org

My life is so wierd. It's allegorical to the nth. My father went to college at Transylvania University.

You see what I'm saying.

A couple of years ago I demanded he stop his work. Close down his company or I would sever our relationship.

He refused. He has just gotten worse. More evil. More powerful. We've been "estranged" for over three years.

Even as a child I disliked him. We were opposites. I wanted to read. He wanted to play games.

He is a union buster.

When I got out of college I joined the Teamsters (the guards were union organized at the Whitney).

I went off to hide in art and academia.

I fled through this art portal for twenty years. In the mean time my Dad started a very very bad

company called Berman and Company.

He props up fast food/soda/factory farming/childhood obesity and diabetes/drunk driving/secondhand smoke.

He attacks animal lovers, ecologists, civil action attorneys, scientists, dieticians, doctors, teachers.

His clients include everyone from the makers of Agent Orange to the Tanning Salon Owners of America.

He helped ensure the minimum wage did not move a penny from 1997-2007!

The worst part for me as a writer is what he does with the english language.

Though vicious he is a doltish thinker

and his spurious editorials rely on doublethink and always with the Lashon Hara.

As I studied Judaism over the years, the shame and the shanda,

grew almost too much. my heart was constantly on fire for justice. I could find no relief.

This winter I decided that the SJs were too small of a force to ever come close to

undoing a millionth of all the harm he has caused. To you and everyone you know.

Literally, if you eat food or have a job, he is reaching you.

I've always hid this terrible shame from you, the fan. The SJs have always stood autonomous and clear.

Hopefully it won't contaminate your feelings about the work.

My life has been riddled with Ibsenism. In a way I am the son of a demon come to make good the damage.

Previously I thought, through songs and poems and drawings I could find and build a refuge away from his world.

But there is the matter of Justice.

And i'll tell you it's not just a metaphor. The desire for it actually burns.

It hurts.

There needs to be something more. I'll see what that might be.

DCB

if you want to know what evil Herr Attackdog is currently up to look here:

http://www.alternet.org/workplace/120426/ad_wars:_'dr._evil'_vs._unions_over_employee_free_choice_act/)

Last edited by DCB on Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:29 pm; edited 10 times in total

I haven't had a chance to look into this yet, but I'm sure you can count on me and all fans to unite and help you in any way we can. However, it sounds as though you are holding yourself more responsible than necessary. You should keep the board as a means of directing us. Don't forget, we are your privates.

Those charities through the SJ site make more sense now. I wanted to thank you and say that I'm glad that this decision makes you happy, that your appetite for justice continues to lead in new directions, and that you left us with such amazing body of work which will only gain in value and meaning. Lookout is a very culminating record that has become my favorite record, and does seem like the perfect finale.
While it may not seem as powerful, I believe your art will far outlast your father's crimes - it will be like the tortoise and the hare. I would have driven to the cave concert, but the tickets sold out. I never got to see you perform live, so I hope you won't rule out a reunion concert years down the road. We love you and wish you the best.

Yikes David.

I love your band but I couldn't care less if you make more records or play more shows.

What I do care about is that you & Cassie are happy and take care of yourselves and each other.

I had read an interview where you said that you were estranged from your dad, but I didn't know why -- is that really him? At first I thought you were joking.

Anyway, you don't have any responsibility for his deeds and actions.

When you know what you're doing next, this sounds dumb but let us know if we can help. Like our license plates here used to say, you've got a friend in Pennsylvania.

I know some muckrakers too.

Please keep us posted...we care.

And don't let your dad bring you down. Sounds like he has some issues. Truth is always beautiful, even when it's ugly. Lies like the ones he sells are always hideous, even when they bring rewards that are "a sight to see for some."

You, Truth, and your friends here are in it for the long haul.

I recall you mentioned Lakoff and at the time I almost suggested you read his stuff about the Strict Father/Nurturant Parent as political models.

Don't feel you have to "make good the damage." Allow yourself to be proud for the real work you've accomplished, your friends and wife who love you, and corny as it sounds, give yourself permission to love yourself.

	Quote:
	But there is the matter of Justice. And i'll tell you it's not just a metaphor. The desire for it actually burns.

He sounds like a sad man. Don't feel the need for retribution or balancing the karmic score.

I like the sound of a screenplay. I read something about the artists' colony Will Oldham went to in Point Reyes or somewhere out there. Have you thought about something like that?

Last edited by towerofdabble on Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:48 pm; edited 1 time in total

it would be selfish of us not to support you, david. i am behind you, in any and most decisions that you make.

good luck in whatever you do.

i love you.

we love you.

just dont forget about us.

please.

thanks.

-m.a.

http://www.wwcd.org/issues/Lakoff.html

couldn't stay away...amen to all DCB...(i think) you're choosing wisely (for what's that worth)

-best

go whale

David, I simply can't express how important your words (songs, poems, interviews) have been to me. We love you, keep in touch.

Ryne

I'm feeling a mix of anger and gratefulness that I don't think I've ever felt before.

Thank you for your music and writing.

Just yesterday I referenced DCB and the silver jews in my philosophy exam about the Nietzsche quote "We possess art, lest we perish from the truth".

Thank you for being so open. I've loved your work since the early years, and it has meant a lot to me. I checked out your dad on SourceWatch. For no good reason I'm very surprised by this. Fuck him over if you can and best of luck with all you do.

Thank you for all the great music.

I wanted to let you know that the humility, humor, and heart of the Silver Jews have been an inspiration and influence to me from high school through law school and beyond.

As a newly licensed lawyer who is actually focusing on consumer protection and food and drug law, I echo your call for justice and look forward to seeing how you will use your creative talent to fight the good fight.

Thanks again and I wish you the best.

Thanks for all the great music. Silver Jews will be remembered fondly.
I'm glad I had the opportunity to shake your hand at the Iowa City show this year.
You are on truth's side and will prevail against lies. Best of luck with whatever you choose to pursue in the future.

THANK YOU.
From the day "American Water" came out, I have loved you and your band. I even drove to your house once in 2002- sorry about that.

A change is gonna come, indeed.

this news makes 'the great gig in the dirt' next week sooooo bittersweet.

guess we can now only hope for some type of hell freezes over record/tour in the twenty tens...

y'all will be missed, but can't wait for next saturday!

lang lebn zolstu

thank you for all the wonderful moments, past or present.

finding some sort of wisdom in your music has never been hard.

thank you, thank you, thank you.

sirus, denmark.

David, thanks for the great records and the two tours.

_________________
www.tinnitus-photography.com

Tell you one thing, I think there's a hell of a screenplay in there somewhere.