Backstage with Beck

I was half expecting him to be aloof or strange but Beck, in the flesh, suprised me just as much as his records continue to delight me.

We spoke in a trailer that served as as his ‘backstage’ at the United Palace Theater and we only had a few minutes before he was to perform ... but Beck’s focus astonished me.  In spite of the fact the opening band (MGMT) was already on stage, Beck seemed unhurried and focused, listening to each question and carefully weighing his response. (If only he spoke more like a New Yorker than an Angeleno, we’d have covered twice as much ground!)  Still, as the session attests, Beck was fully engaged, thoughtful and a willing participant - you can’t say that about all rock stars!

I was also impressed with how utterly *present* the guy appeared; bright-eyed and inquisitive, he was eyeing my gear (digital recorder) with great curiosity and continued to chat casually even as his people tried to usher us out!  Of course, the best part came after we stopped rolling tape (d’oh!) when Beck continued to explain that one aim of “Modern Guilt” was brevity - he praised the Beatles for their ability to write short, sweet tunes like “In My Life,” a song he said is utterly complete and only a couple minutes long.   It’s an interesting insight into Beck’s process, which seems to be short on fun, these days, but then, he’s reflecting on a nation at war in a time of great social and political upheaval, so it’s hard to blame the guy...