David Letterman has made his love for Warren Zevon and The National very clear, declaring that both artists ought to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and that he wishes he “could be Matt Berninger.”
Sitting down for a YouTube conversation with Barbara Gaines and Mary Barclay — longtime colleagues from the Late Show days — the 70-year-old television icon shared some of his thoughts on the 2023 inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, starting with his disappointment over the snubbing of Zevon.
“Warren Zevon was on the ballot for the first time, and was not voted in,” he explained. “I will say that I’m disappointed. I’m not angry, because I would’ve been surprised had it gone the other way. I think to be angry would’ve been 30 years ago, when he should’ve been inducted.” Zevon currently sits at No. 2 on Consequence‘s list of the worst snubs in the history of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Then, after a mentioning of the band’s name, the conversation took a turn to The National. Clad in glasses, a beanie, and a big beard — looking and sounding more like a guy who would 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 oughta be in the Hall of Fame.”
But Letterman, like many of us, has mixed feelings about Rock Hall, echoing a sentiment many disillusioned fans feel towards the honor: “Warren can do without the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” he said. “I don’t care if it’s next year — we’re so long overdue on Warren, but that’s fine. 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 mentioned that he was gifted tickets to see The National on their ongoing tour in support of their new album First Two Pages of Frankenstein. If you’d like to join him, you can grab your tickets via StubHub, where orders are 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s FanProtect program. StubHub is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.
