Silver Jews

Silver Jews

Silver Jews was an American indie rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1989. The band's origins trace back to Ectoslavia, a college band founded in 1985 at the University of Virginia by future Pavement members Bob Nastanovich and Stephen Malkmus, alongside frontman David Berman. After Ectoslavia disbanded following their graduation, the three friends relocated to New York City. Nastanovich worked as a bus driver, while Berman and Malkmus took positions as art museum security guards.

Early Years and Pavement's Shadow

As Pavement, a band formed by Malkmus after Ectoslavia and before their move to New York, began to gain significant attention and secure a record deal, the Silver Jews were often perceived as a side project. This perception was amplified by the frequent overlap in band members between the two groups, leading some to unfairly view Berman as less capable than his Pavement counterparts.

Drag City and Artistic Evolution

Despite the shadow cast by Pavement's success, the connection proved beneficial. Drag City, then a burgeoning independent label, agreed to release the Silver Jews' debut EPs. This marked the beginning of a long-standing and fruitful relationship, with Drag City continuing to release the band's records, including their seventh album, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea, in 2008.

Later Lineup and Berman's Literary Pursuits

In its later years, the Silver Jews primarily featured David Berman and his wife, Cassie Berman, who contributed significantly to the lyrics. The band's lineup was fluid, often including a rotating cast of notable indie musicians such as William T. of Lambchop and Brian Kotzer of Tim Chad and Sherry.

Beyond his musical career, David Berman was also a respected poet. His work appeared in numerous poetry magazines and journals, and in 1999, he released a collection of poetry and prose titled Actual Air. The book garnered favorable reviews from publications like The New Yorker and GQ.

Disbandment and Tragic Loss

On January 22, 2009, David Berman announced via the Drag City message board that their upcoming show on January 31st in Tennessee would be their last. He stated, "Can't be like all the careerists don'tcha know. I'm forty two and I know what to do. I'm a writer, see? I always said we would stop before we got bad." After a decade-long hiatus from music, Berman resurfaced in 2019 with a new project, Purple Mountains.

David Berman died by suicide on August 22, 2019, following a prolonged struggle with depression.