When there's people on the other side of the room trying to wipe out your life and things are stacked against you, you can get nervous.

I got turned on to rock music almost by mistake when I was seven years old.

My parents didn't hide reality. I watched cartoons and the news with equal fascination.

Looking back, I didn't realize until years later what a huge influence Red Skelton was in my stage demeanor with the band. I mean, I always liked things that were funny, and later I realized that having a sly sense of humor was a way to get attention and even respect in school.

I went to Seattle as just another geek in the food chain, thinking, "Well, in my own puny little way, I'd rather be a part of history than just sit and watch it on TV." So, the fact that so many people are starting to ask the right questions and rack their brains for solutions does give me hope.

I think that what's perceived as punk out in shopping malls or in chain stores or on MTV has almost nothing to do with what punk is about.

When there's people on the other side of the room trying to wipe out your life and things are stacked against you, you can get nervous.