Levene.

For me, music, well listening to music is both an escape from what's going on and a way to feel what's going on more intensely.

You know, always has been. When I was little, I loved the Beatles. Little kids loved the Beatles. I especially loved Ringo. Ringo was my favorite because he had that big nose.

You know, that's irresistible. And I had a John Lennon doll too that somebody gave to me. Of course I was only five years old so I didn't

know they were geniuses. And I love the monkeys partly because they were cute and

funny but last train to Clarksville is pretty fucking good truth be told my grandma

dede gave me a monkey's record somebody must have told her to do that because I

think she was more Benny Goodman than Mickey Dollins and of course crushes are tied to music. I mean, I've already talked on this show about Bobby Sherman, but how about James Taylor? Oh, Lord Jesus, James Taylor on the cover of the album Sweet Baby James, I just looked at it and I fell so deeply in love all over again.

And I have to say, side note, there was this guy

that worked at a woman's clothing boutique

that was really funky and cool called the elephant trunk

and it was in Mount Kisko, New York and I used to go into that store practically on a daily basis when I was visiting my dad because that man was there and he looked so much like

James Taylor and I would just look at him and I can look at him right now in my mind's

eye and I'm leaving my husband for that man because he was so

fucking gorgeous anyway I'm talking about music it's very very evocative holy

Christ and I think the most important musical discovery for me was around middle school when I fell

in love with rhythm and blues, soul music, and funk.

I started to go to concerts in Washington, D.C. with my best friend, Carleen,

Carleen,

we saw the Commodores, we saw Sly in the Family Stone, Parliament Funkadelic.

We love to funk you Funkenstein, your funk is the best.

And it was the best. I still can't get enough of that music. And then a couple years out of high school, I got to be on Saturday

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