David Letterman made his love for Warren Zevon and The National very clear, stating that the two artists should be in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and that he wishes he could “be Matt Berninger.”
Sit for a Conversation on YouTube with Barbara Gaines and Mary Barclay — longtime colleagues from Late Show days — the 70-year-old television icon shared some of his thoughts on the 2023 inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, starting with his frustration at being snubbed by Zevon.
“Warren Zevon was on the ballot for the first time, and was not voted out,” he explained. “I have to say I’m disappointed. I’m not angry, because I would have been surprised if it was on another road. I think that would be mad 30 years ago, when he should have been inducted. Zevon currently sits at No. 2 in RESULTSof list of the worst snubs in the history of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Then, after mentioning the band’s name, the conversation turned to The National. Clad in glasses, a beanie, and a big beard – looking and sounding more like a guy who’s going to explain microdosing to you in between sets at a house show than a Kennedy Center honoree – Letterman expressed his admiration in full force.
“I wish I could be Matt Berninger because there’s nobody cooler than Matt Berninger,” he said. “I love The National… They should be in the Hall of Fame.”
But Letterman, like many of us, has mixed feelings about the Rock Hall, echoing a sentiment felt by many disillusioned fans of the honor: “Warren could do without the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, ” he said. “I don’t care if it’s next year – we’ve been with Warren for a long time, but that’s great. He’s above and beyond the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Watch Letterman’s full interview below.
At one point in the video, Letterman mentions that he was given tickets to see The National in their ongoing tour in support of their new album First Two Pages of Frankenstein. If you want to join him, you can get your tickets through StubHub, where orders are 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s FanProtect program. StubHub is a secondary ticketing market platform, and prices can be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.