Yoko, the Plastic Ono Band and me

I once had the pleasure of interviewing Yoko Ono. Must admit, I was absolutely terrified going in, to the point where my mouth was dry and my hands were shaking. And yes, it was right around happy hour time, and it was a Friday, but I assure you, that had nothing to do with it. I was scared because, as a lifeling, hardcore, near maniacal Beatles fan, Ono had become a creature of myth to me. When you actually meet the myth, it can be a little... well, weird. And disappointing. And sometimes, completely awful.

As it turns out, Ono could not have been more hospitable. Warm, funny, charming, and incredibly forthcoming about her life with John Lennon, the time with Yoko still ranks as my personal favorite among the interviews I've conducted over the years.

Of course, Yoko is not famous simply for being "the wife of Beatle John." She was already a formidable presence as artist, Fluxus group founding member, and raving avant-gardist by the time she bumped into the then-married, subrurban-dwelling pile of drugged-up frustration that was Lennon. Musically, Ono was way ahead of her time. She prefigured the primal howling and art-rock hybridizations of bands like Can and Neu!, can be heard echoed in works by Brian Eno and David Bowie, is all over Bjork's stuff, and imagined rather early on the collage/cut-and-paste ethic that would inform arsty types like Beck and the more creative arm of hip-hop as well.

Now, Yoko has reformed the Plastic Ono Band, a ballsy move in a career full of ballsy moves. That name comes with an awful lot of baggage, but it's Yoko's baggage, and she's entitled to do with it what she likes. What she did with it, actually, is create a wonderful new album, "Between My Head and the Sky," and earn herself the most unanimously positive reviews of her career on both sides of the pond.

Tonight, (Thursday 11/5) Yoko and the Plastic Ono Band will perform on Jimmy Fallon. In the meantime, check out this freakshow.