“Bright Side” of a Horrific Life: Travis Barker Opens Up in New Memoir

When done right, autobiographies can be masterworks of literature. They can take you inside the mind of a person/personality, and intimately let you into their lives. Most times, however, they follow a template and come off as formulaic story without the Clara Peller beef. Joe Perry managed to avoid the bottomless bargain bin with his unique, honest, and well-written Rocks last year, and Travis Barker has done it this year. With CAN I SAY: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums Drums Drums, the Blink 182 drummer is at his most vulnerable – revealing truths about drug addiction, failed marriage and projects, and the outer and inner wounds left from a 2008 plane crash that claimed the lives of four, and left him with second and third degree burns over about 1/3 of his body. The overdose of close friend Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein, who also survived the crash, is also discussed at length. Overall, the book, co-written by Rolling Stone contributing editor Gavin Edwards, hits you like a punch to the gut but there’s an overall sense of hope and redemption throughout. It’s an intimate look into Barker’s life, his craft, his highs, his lows, and his in-betweens. Last month, I was fortunate to chat with the gifted drummer about his book, band, and breakthroughs.