by Barbara Rushkoff
*In the mid-nineties, zine author
Barbara Rushkoff was a DIY dynamo: a self-published person of the
book. Her zine Plotz lasted for sixteen issues of rants, raves
and Yiddishisms and lives on today at Plotzworld.com.
Plotz scored some major coups, but the biggest might have been an
interview with Mr. Milk and Honey himself, Beck Hansen. Below,
Rushkoff’s 1997 interview with Beck.*
Beck Represents in Plotz
Ultimately I think I guilted Beck’s "people" in to this
interview. You see, I was all set up to talk to him months
before, only he blew me off (don’t hate me for being truthful!).
When I arrived at what was to be my second change, I was told within
the first few seconds that I was there that it wasn’t going to happen
again. Hmm, I thought, as I kvetched openly. Then all of a
sudden I was ushered into the hallway at Roseland for my 10 minutes
with Beck (props to Ben C for that!). I was nervous and excited
(kvelling in effect). I thought about whipping out my camera and
photographing Beck’s traveling trunk where a pair of rhinestone cowboy
boots lay perched atop (that’s a photo right there) and many western
style shirts were inside (along with orange shoes). I didn’t want
to overstep my privilege though cause it took me too long to get this
close! I do have to say that Beck was really nice, very genuine
and most definitely mench-like. (Which is pretty much the biggest
complement I give to anyone).
Plotz: Do you even know what this is for – do you know what Plotz is?
Beck: Yeah, it’s a Jew thing.
Plotz: Right. Can you tell me the Jew make-up of you?
Beck: It’s all on my mother’s side. My mother’s mother was
all-Jew. Eastern European Jews. It runs through the female
side of the famile.
Plotz: Then it counts. You look Scandinavian to me.
Beck: Yeah, I’m a Scandinavian Jew.
Plotz: I’ll take that. Please tell me you were Bar Mitzvah’d.
Beck: No. I wanted to be but we were so poor when I was a
kid. I remember for years my mother griping about that. I
went to Hebrew School for a while though. I got some of the
Jew-knowledge, I just didn’t get the ceremony. I remember my
friends getting Bar Mitzvah’d though.
Plotz: So I can’t ask the fashion question then.
Beck: Well, if I was Bar Mitzvah’d I would’ve worn a blue blazer, gray
slacks and Florsheims and a phat tie. It’s the uniform.
Plotz: When I read about you and you being Jewish, it always
seems that the person writing the article is shocked that you’re a
Jew. What’s up with that?
Beck: They can’t believe
it. I don’t know because the tribe is large. I think
there’s more people that have Jew in them than don’t.
Plotz: Do you have a favorite Jewish holiday?
Beck: Passover, because it’s the first time I ever got drunk. I
have fond memories. We had pretty rowdy Passovers because my mom
would invite all her non-Jewish friends over and they brought a party
atmosphere with them. There’s serious parts at Passover but
there’s celebratory parts too – hiding the Matzoh. I used one of
the prayers from Passover in a song I did on a Christmas jam I
did. It was a Hannukah interpretation of The Little Drummer Boy.
Plotz: Back to drinking. Do you know of any Jews who drink? Hard liquor?
Beck: I drink and so do all of my Jewish friends. Yes. We
do it all. Most of the people I know who are Jews have evolved to
embracing this now. I’m talking West Coast Jews here. Maybe
it’s different on the East Coast.
Plotz: So there are Jews on the West Coast?
Beck: There’s so many but the West Coast isn’t about tradition at all.
Plotz: Can you get a good knish there?
Beck: Yeah, there’s an area called Fairfax district where it’s a pretty
heavy Jew scene. Lots of Jew food there. East L.A. used to
be a massive Jewish community – they’ve got Brooklyn Avenue
there. Now it’s Latino, but there’s a lot of Jewish heritage
there.
Plotz: What Jew would you like to duet with?
Beck: That’s a good one – I would like to sing something very
traditional with Isaac Bashevis Singer. Something very
poignant. Maybe a medley.
Plotz: Last question.
(Pointing to mutton chops). You’re so close to payess.
Would you give me props and wear payess to the Grammys?
Beck:
I just shave yesterday because I had a full-on Jew beard going.
The sideburns are out of control. I could easily show up to the
Grammys like that – everywhere I go I try to represent. I’ve
played a lot of those X-mas radio shows and there was nobody
there. I mean the Wallflowers played there and he wasn’t giving
up for Hanukkah. We came there and we represented. We’ve
got to take back the holiday – musically.
Plotz: Beautiful.