Dear James,

Okay, I have to admit: In the beginning, I was really resistant to this whole “open relationship” idea. I mean, I was happy back in 2002, when it was just you, and me, and “Losing My Edge.” It was like our own private joke. Captain Beefheart, that’s funny stuff.

Even after I found out you were married, we were still cool. Remember that week between Christmas and New Years, 2004? All you wanted to do was go see a movie at Angelika Film Center with your wife. But you still made time to call me. We talked on the phone for over an hour, about “The Family Guy” and boxer briefs and the clothespin on your nose. Like buddies. It didn’t even feel like an interview, did it?

But now it’s 2007. LCD Soundsystem play at Coachella, and DFA remixes Justin Timberlake. You’re huge and famous. Seriously, strangers were asking to hang out with me after they found out I had an early advance of Sound Of Silver. Complete strangers. I barely got into your sold out Seattle show this time around.

Yet watching you last night at the Showbox, all I felt was love. It was killer how you sped up “Daft Punk” so it sounded like a Devo song. And when you asked the guys to stop crushing the girls at the front of the stage? “If you look around you, and all you see are dudes dancing, that’s a problem.” Right on! Oh, oh, and that closing version of “Yeah” – it was like 18 minutes long! Wow. From the first throbbing notes of “Us v Them,” to the way you had the lighting guy kill everything but the slowly-turning disco ball for the final encore of “New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down,” I was yours all over again.

So what if you told everyone in Seattle that we’re your favorite audience, anywhere. I don’t mind sharing you with the others. Just don’t ever leave.

Love,
El Toro

p.s. Be nice to that Yacht kid. He was really great, and funny. He signed a record for me, too!