David & David emphasize lyrics

By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
November 15, 1986

As far as rock duo David & David are concerned, their name isn’t all that bland.

“I know to some people we sound like a magician act,” said singer David Baerwald. “But we decided on our name quite simply.  David (Ricketts) and I were rehearsing, and people would just talk to us as if we were one person.  It’d be, `What do you think about that, David and David?’  It was kind of funny at first, but then we just ended up liking the sound of it.  We couldn’t think of a better name that described us, so well, so we stuck with it.”

David & David, currently on their first tour, will perform tomorrow at the Park West in a sold-out concert.

Baerwald met Ricketts in Los Angeles seven years ago. He said they hated each other at first because Ricketts was a serious musician from Philadelphia and Baerwald was an “arrogant 19-year-old” who thought he knew everything.

Two years ago, their initial animosity toward one another turned to mutual respect, and they formed David & David.

“It took me years to get together in my head the musical direction that I wanted to go into,” Baerwald said.  “I had been in previous bands, but it just never clicked. Then I discovered that Ricketts and I had similar musical tastes.”

David & David put as much emphasis on lyrics as their music. The characters they create in their songs seem to come to life.

Baerwald is the primary lyricist and singer while Ricketts is the composer.

“We respond to each other’s work,” Baerwald said.  “That’s one of the reasons we’ve kept this group down to a duo.  It’s convenient for us to control.”  Four backup musicians are touring with them.

“Boomtown,” the duo’s debut album for A&M, has been very favorably received by the press.

“It’s a little nerve-wracking when people have such high expectations for you,” Baerwald said. “But I’m not complaining.  Here we got to do our album the way we wanted to, and now we’ve got people saying all sorts of good things about us.  I think that the reason that a lot of people can relate to what we write about is because we’re just two average guys singing about everyday things that happen to everyone.”