Happy Birthday Elvis Perkins

By Chelsea Spear

In this day and age of bringing heroin to a court date and stripping on the red carpet, being the most endearing man in rock may seem kind of mundane. However, Elvis Perkins makes this underrated virtue an outstanding and distinguished asset.

His music—an otherworldly and poignant spin on Old Weird American genres like country and folk—may draw tears and catharsis from his audience, but his unassuming personality, sly sense of humor, and geek chic good looks have won over audiences in America and Europe.

In honor of Perkins’ 32nd birthday, we at Popshifter are delighted to bring you this short clip from the 2009 Bumbershoot. In the video, Perkins engages in a nerdy convo with a teenaged photographer about the band Yes and other prog and metal bands. That a band known for its instrumental virtuoso qualities and ornate, space-age covers would bring out the record-collecting, band-member-trainspotting side of the otherwise-cool and composed recording artist further cements his—yes—endearing qualities.

Talkin’ Yes with Elvis Perkins from Palestra Creative on Vimeo.

Meanwhile, if just engaging a fellow fan in discussion of an unhip band isn’t enough for you, check out Perkins and his then-newly dubbed band, Dearland, performing “While You Were Sleeping” on Letterman.