david-berman
David Berman

watch Phosphorescent, Hiss Golden Messenger & more cover Silver Jews songs live in tribute to David Berman

Tributes to Silver Jews/Purple Mountains frontman David Berman, who died on Wednesday, continue to pour in and some of his contemporaries have covered songs at their shows. Hiss Golden Messenger, at his show in Portland, ME on Friday covered Silver Jews’ “Dallas” (from 1996’s The Natural Bridge). The group’s MC Taylor, who was performing solo, called Berman one of the most “mesmerizing writers in my lifetime,” adding, “When I discovered his music it felt like something was completely cracked open — not because he was reinventing anything with music but he was reinventing language.” Introing “Dallas,” Taylor said, “This tune for me, pound for pound, has the most insane words — the ideas he puts into words are hilarious…and sad.” Watch video of that below.

Meanwhile on Thursday (8/8), Phosphorescent covered Silver Jews’ “Trains Across the Sea” (from 1994’s Starlight Walker) at his show at Oakland, CA’s The Parish. Matthew Houck delivered a lovely solo rendition. You can watch that below, too.

Also on Thursday (8/8), Activity — the new Brooklyn band featuring members of Grooms, Russian Baths and Field Mouse — were covering the same song as Phosphorescent (“Train Across the Sea”) and you can watch that below.

On Saturday (8/10), The Districts covered Silver Jews’ “Random Rules,” the opening song on 1998’s classic American Water, at the Haldern Pop Festival in Germany. You can watch that below.

Also: The National have been dedicating songs to Berman at their shows this weekend, like “Green Gloves” at their show on Friday in Castelbuono, Italy.

Filmmaker Lance Bangs organized a reading of Berman’s poetry and lyrics outside NYC’s Met Breuer on Thursday, and Dominic Palermo of Nothing covered “We Are Real.”