I'm not a big reader of music blogs, magazines or interviews. I like to listen. So I really had no idea what it would be like to talk with Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons. I only know him from spending a lot of time with his previous album, I Am a Bird Now, and he didn't seem like a happy camper.

When I first walked into the Sixth and I Synagogue for the recent Antony and the Johnsons concert there, I wasn't sure if the images in Antony's music would feel out of place, or if they would take on new meaning. I did know it was something I'd never forget.

What surprised me most is this: He's actually a very chipper fellow. Smart, I figured; upbeat, I hadn't. I felt the same way when I saw Leonard Cohen literally skip off the stage like a child racing to an ice-cream truck. Go figure. In my interview with Antony, he reveals to me his three childhood heroes — Anne Frank, Divine and Jesus — as well as his desire to do cartwheels thanks to a music video by Kate Bush.

We have the entire show online for you to hear. You can also download a copy of the show by subscribing to our concerts podcast. My conversation with Antony can be heard here, or at the end of the concert podcast.

Antony and the Johnsons Interview:

Also, we're proud to announce a new partnership: NPR Music is teaming up with Pitchfork TV to find interesting music projects. So go watch video of Antony and the Johnsons' performance at the Sixth and I Synagogue in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 3.

Here's a sample video: