Recent Articles

Recent Articles By Roy Kasten

  • The Campbell Brothers
    8 p.m. Friday, February 15 and 11 a.m. Saturday, February 16. Edison Theatre, 6445 Forsyth Boulevard
  • Nina Nastasia
    8:30 p.m. Saturday, February 9. The Bluebird, 2706 Olive Street.
  • Richard Thompson
    8 p.m. Monday, February 11. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard
  • Parachute Musical
    9 p.m. Friday, February 1. The Bluebird, 2706 Olive Street.
  • Giant Bear
    9 p.m. Wednesday, February 6. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue.

Recent Articles By Kristyn Pomranz

National Features

  • Phoenix New Times
    Canine Crusaders

    That drug-sniffing dog up ahead? He may not be your best friend.

    By Ray Stern
  • Broward-Palm Beach New Times
    The Muscle Men

    Thanks to a string of Florida "anti-aging clinics," baseball's steroid scandal isn't limited to superstars.

    By Michael J. Mooney
  • Miami New Times
    Picked On

    Farm workers earn nada in America's green-bean capital.

    By Janine Zeitlin
  • Village Voice
    "Why I'm No Longer a Brain-Dead Liberal"

    An election-season essay from one of America's greatest playwrights.

    By David Mamet

I had this idea, I had part of the music, and I knew I wanted to write about more urgent and serious subjects. I've always liked the aesthetics of protest music. It's weird for me to think of that. I am not an angry or political guy, but I like the expression of angry music. So I didn't want to write love songs. There are so many good ones already. In my search for topics, I found human nature and religion, aspects that many people think about, so they have a universal touch that good love songs can also have.

In this country, religion and human nature have become very hot political topics. Is that the case in Sweden?

Actually, yeah. It's a very secular country. Growing up, we didn't go to church more than once a year. At school, there was never talk of God or anything. But now, coming back to Sweden after touring, there's a revived discussion of religion and society. There's a lot of immigrants with religious beliefs. The Danish cartoonists drew a figure of Muhammad and that started riots, which has started discussion. Recently, Danish newspapers reprinted those drawings. I think the basic view on dividing church and state and not mixing supernatural beings with science and ethics are all part of the discussion.

Do you think of yourself as an atheist?

Yes, that's the practical stance to take when there's no evidence for God. So I'm 99.9999 percent atheist.

But listening to your voice, the tone of it, it doesn't sound like someone who doesn't believe in the supernatural.

I think it's interesting. Many times we confuse a belief in the supernatural with the way religions package it. Spirituality can be something you can indulge in without feeling the necessity to believe in things you have no evidence for. I like the idea of indulging in music and losing oneself in art. That's something I try to convey in my music, using repetition. It's close to meditation sometimes.

— Roy Kasten

8 p.m. Wednesday, March 19. Graham Chapel, Washington University. 6445 Forsyth Boulevard. Free for Wash. U. students, $10 for the public. 314-935-5917.

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