My Back Pages: 6/20/26
Mike Campbell interviewed, Bob Dylan at the Greek, Death Grips
With the ongoing enshittification of social media platforms, I can no longer rely on the avenues I’ve typically used to publicize my work. I’m also interested in subjects beyond my standard podcast rotation, like random tunes I’m digging and the clothes I wear. Hence: My Back Pages, a now-weekly digest recapping everything of note from the last seven days—pods, bylines, appearances, plus a few odds and ends.
Let’s get to it.
Pods of the Week
This week on Jokermen, I rapped with the great Mike Campbell. We spent some time talking about his latest album with The Dirty Knobs, the title track of which is inspired by Brian Wilson, but we also hit a ton of other favorites: Tom & the Heartbreakers, Fleetwood Mac, and even a little on the True Confessions Tour with Bob Dylan in 1986. An honor to spend some time picking the brain of a rock songs legend.
We’re up to Niggas on The Moon on our Patreon-exclusive Death Grips series. Heady record, appropriately heady episode. Thanks to Evan for carrying my ass on this one.
On Never Ending Stories, I enjoyed discussing Bob Dylan’s recent performance at the Greek Theatre with my wife, my father, my sisters, and my soon-to-be brother-in-law. The family that pods together stays together.
On that note: I also wrote up my weekend with Bob for Ray Padgett’s essential Flagging Down The Double E’s. The fam and I reeled off some morning-after thoughts without any preparation on the pod, so it was nice to spend a bit more time thinking through the greater significance of the so-called Long Hot Summer Tour.
I’ll say this much: if I ever hear “Black Rider” again, it’ll be too soon.
Chune of the Week
Van Morrison: “Did Ye Get Healed”
These days, Van pops up in my mind every so often and I fall down the Celtic rabbit hole all over again. My current go-to is Poetic Champions Compose, a silky smooth slice of mystical jazz-rock mumbo-jumbo. Imagine The Nightfly-era Donald Fagen if he were an Irish Protestant instead of a tri-state area Jew and you’re not far off.
I really started loving Champions last year when Bob swiped the melody of “I Forgot That Love Existed” for the 2025 incarnation of “Watchtower.” Since then, I can’t get enough. “Did Ye Get Healed” is maybe the tightest cut on the record, a swingin’, soulful slice of shamrock muzak made by a man at a spiritual peak. Dig:
Fit of the Week
I wore this last Sunday, on my second night at the Greek Theatre.
On night one, I wore a fine new linen suit—Bob always looks his best for us, so I wanted to look my best for him. On night two, I was dealing with a few additional complications: colder weather, a longer walk, and concrete risers. These circumstances called for something a bit hardier, so I paired this beautiful vintage bootleg Bob tee (shoutout to Evan for the wonderful birthday gift) with a well-loved pair of Carhartt double-knees, always a good option for an outdoor rock show.
For shoes, I went with Oboz Firebrand IIs. Good support, comfy for long distances uphill, and they always look a little goofy, which I appreciate. Up top, I threw on my Henry’s Swoop Jacket, another sturdy piece that operates in the natural color palette—brown, black, white—of the rest of the look. Still, I wanted a bit of color to make everything pop, and I needed an extra layer anyways, so I added a vintage Five Brothers flannel between the jacket and the tee. It’s a small shirt that I can have a hard time wearing on its own (sleeves too short), but as a contrasting middle layer, it works perfectly.
I’m hoping to answer reader questions in future installments of this digest. Drop me a line below—anything goes!