I’ve seen Erykah Badu a couple of times, at different phases of her career and life, but to date, nothing beats the live version of “Penitentiary Philosophy” she did on Letterman’s damned show. Scared the crap out of the audience—they barely clapped. The album version is awesome, but a slim comparison. I’ve been hunting for a recording ever since—Tivo’s even on it, should Letterman run a 3-year-old rerun somewhere in backwoods cable.

I have a bootleg of the Voodoo tour live at Brixton in the UK. It is my church. My musical ambition is to be the female backup singer on that tour—and since it is done and gone, I renounce any further me-as-musician delusions.