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In the summer of 1996 Susanne and I saw Semisonic perform live in a small, dank bar on the Jersey shore in support of their latest release, Great Divide. Two years later, the Minneapolis rock band's massive hit song "Closing Time" would explode across radio stations around the world.

It was one of those shows. One of those perfect shows. That is, from a fan's perspective. Susanne and I were seeing a band on the cusp of stardom and we knew it. The scarce crowd of locals playing pinball or grabbing a six of Rolling Rock as they exited the bar only gave us easier access to stools roughly ten feet from the band. And they rocked. Years later I would learn that like my son Charlie, Semisonic drummer Jacob Slichter had type 1 diabetes.

CP: What was that Prince cover song you guys did? I remember you tapping away on a little keyboard with one hand while you played drums with the other. It was very impressive.

JS: Erotic City. The keyboard while drumming thing started one day when my band mate, Dan, happened upon me playing some chords with my right hand while playing a drum beat with the rest of my limbs. I was trying to get a sense of what the chord progression would sound like with drums, and Dan immediately thought we should start having me play keyboards while drumming at our live shows. We recorded a number of songs that way in the studio, too.

CP: Would you share your diagnosis story? How old were you?

JS: I was 30. I was working out a lot and noticing that I was especially thirsty. "Maybe it's that 'deep down body thirst' that the Gatorade ads all mention," I thought, so I started swilling Gatorade, which obviously worsened things. After a few weeks, I went to the doctor, who immediately knew what was up. I took a fasting blood sugar test and voila.

CP: Do you wear an insulin pump or do you manually inject?

JS: I inject. I'm not ready to hand things over to the pump, but I think this is a question of personality type. Some people are better suited to the pump. I prefer doing it myself.

CP: What was your last blood sugar?

JS: 138, two minutes ago.

CP: Many people wrestle a bit with telling new friends or co-workers that they have diabetes. Did you encounter any awkwardness when explaining diabetes to the other guys in the band?

JS: None at all. Moreover, it's good that they know, because there have been numerous situations over the years when they've helped me get an orange juice if I'm crashing and been sensitive to the needs of my metabolic system, which is not easy for someone who travels a lot.

CP: We see first-hand that many people that cross our daily paths do not possess a basic understanding of diabetes. We are often asked if Charlie will outgrow diabetes. There is also this perception that the slightest consumption of sugar will drop a diabetic dead on the spot. Do you have any stories to share regarding a similar lack of understanding in the music industry environment?

JS: My personal experience has been blessedly free of pigheadedness. I think the average person is understandably confused by diabetes because they've mainly heard two things from diabetics: "I'm diabetic, I can't have sweets" and "I'm diabetic and I need something sweet, right now!" On the surface, this is a contradiction, though with a little explanation, it all becomes clear.

I notice the occasional movie and cop show plot with looney pictures of diabetes and shake my head. I'm waiting for a movie in which the main character has diabetes or some other chronic condition. There are millions of people out there who deal with disease on a regular basis and work their way around it. It's interesting that we don't see that reflected so much in movies and on television. I think it would be helpful, because illness is part of life.

CP: I imagine the adrenalin of playing in front of thousands of fans or performing on the Letterman Show could do a number on your blood sugar. Did you find that? How did you deal with fluctuating blood sugars in these situations?

JS: Yes, the excitement increases my metabolism. Plus, the physical act of playing the drums consumes a lot of calories. I try to go on stage with my blood sugar in the 160-200 range, knowing that after an hour of rocking out while sipping cranberry juice between songs, I'll be okay.

I test all the time. I test ten times a day or more. While on stage, I'll do 3-5 glucose tests so that I know where my blood sugar is, where it was, and therefore where it's going.

CP: In your book, "So You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star," (which made its rounds with all of my other music nerd friends) you reveal that you had severe stage fright. Did this also affect your blood sugar?

JS: Definitely. The more stress, the lower the sugars go. (For me at least.) I got the stage fright under control, and it helped my blood sugars, too.

CP: We go with a 4-ounce juice box when treating Charlie's low blood sugars. What's your go-to sugar?

JS: It depends. I sip juice or have M&Ms, which are easily portioned out (unlike a candy bar) according to where my blood sugar is.

CP: Have you ever experienced a nasty low right in the middle of performing live?

JS: Yes, and I've swilled cranberry juice accordingly. Not terribly comfortable. Fortunately, I manage things rather tightly, so these instances are rare.

CP: And finally, a serious question from Charlie. Should I become a drummer or a hockey player?

JS: I often describe drummers as being like goalies. We have different equipment, and we're down at the far end of the rink.

So I'd say both!

Jake's book "So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star" is a fascinating glimpse into the reality of the music industry. I recommend it highly.