Lansing-born Ethan Daniel Davidson is a road soldier, has been one, he says, since he split home at the tender age of 14. Since, he’s made a handful of records that often brim with not-so-subtle politicking, literate road tales and terse social humor that miraculously sidesteps the flippant. His latest, the Times Beach-released Free the Ethan Daniel Davidson Five, is his best yet, highlighted by the jaunty spoof “Support the War on Nashville.”
What’s not to adore about a third-party voter who learned his craft by mimicking Joe Strummer, and who first discovered folk on the wonderfully booze-rotted breath of Shane MacGowan, and had the wherewithal to dole out 50,000 free CDs the world over? EDD even studied at Harvard once and covers Woody (not Ronnie) — but don’t hold that against him. Here Davidson offers up his five monomanias of the week.
5. Sixty-two straight months on the road and still my only groupies are middle-aged, gun-totin’, backwoods, lone-wolf, glue-sniffin’, anarchist geezers; so much for rock ’n’ roll.
4. I’ve never watched the Super Bowl, although I did watch this year’s halftime: no wardrobe malfunction for Ringo! Foiled again!
3. I always remember to put Asia Argento on the guest list. She always remembers not to show up. She will be mine, oh yes, Asia will be mine.
2. Buy a diesel engine, run your car on fryer grease — it’s free when you steal it from McDonald’s — it’s cleaner, and it helps you get yourself further off the grid.
1. I just played a show in New Orleans, and no one wanted to see me naked.
Record release show is Friday, Feb. 11, at Alvin’s (5756 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-831-4577) with Brandon Waird and Dale Wilson supporting.
Send comments to [email protected]
