GIG NEWS + Dreaming In Analog Recap
Triple Door Seattle tickets! Two in-stores! "Kid" live at The Moore! Plus podcasts and gear dorking!
Before I get into the Dreaming in Analog recap, I’ve got podcast news and lots of gig announcements to share.
PODCASTS!
I’ve recorded several podcast interviews of late. It was only fitting that the first episode to drop would be A Fresh Face in Hell, hosted by my old chum, Jonathan Evison. We were neighbors growing up, so we had a lot of ground to cover, beginning with our days hot boxing figs. (You’ll have to listen to find out what the hell that means.)
We discuss our band, March of Crimes, the Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers of the Seattle punk scene. M.O.C. secured its place as a footnote in rock history by including tenures from one somewhat successful singer-songwriter (me) and not one but two Rock & Roll Hall of Famers (Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard). Tracing my musical life and career, Jon asked some deep questions. This is not your average “who are your musical influences” interview.
Jon left music and never looked back. He has gone on to enjoy a fruitful career as an award-winning best-selling author. Critics have compared his work to Charles Dickens, J.D. Salinger, and John Irving. But don’t take their word for it. Take it from me… he’s an amazingly gifted writer. And he’s got the awards to show for it.
Check out the episode HERE. Also, be sure to check out the pod’s Substack.
IN-STORES!
I will be performing FREE concerts at a couple of my favorite record stores.
Easy Street Records in West Seattle at 7pm on Saturday, August 23.
Music Millennium in Portland at 3pm on Sunday, October 12.
TRIPLE DOOR TICKETS!
I will return to the Triple Door in Seattle on October 10. I am extra excited about this gig for two reasons.
I’ll be backed by an all-star band.
We’ll be celebrating the double vinyl deluxe reissue of my debut album, Necktie Second.
Premium subscribers to this newsletter can scoop up the best seats now. Visit the rarities page for the access code. Everyone else will have to wait until Thursday, 8/7 at 9am PT, when tickets go on sale for the general public.
OREGON MUSIC HALL OF FAME!
I will play a short set at The Aladdin Theater in Portland as part of the Oregon Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony. More details HERE.
Also in Oregon, shows just announced in Ontario and Baker City. See below for links to tickets and info.
GIG REMINDER:
I will join Ian Moore & his band on a song or two.
08/07 - Seattle, WA • Ian Moore at The Triple Door • TICKETS
UPCOMING GIGS:
08/23 - Seattle, WA • Easy Street Records • 7pm FREE
09/09 - Vienna, VA • Jammin’ Java • TICKETS
09/13 - Cambridge, MA • Passim • TICKETS
09/14 - Northampton, MA • The Parlor Room • TICKETS
09/18 - New York City, NY • Joe’s Pub • TICKETS
09/21 - Philadelphia, PA • The Loft at City Winery • TICKETS
10/10 - Seattle, WA • The Triple Door • TICKETS
10/11 - Portland, OR • Aladdin / Oregon Music Hall of Fame • TICKETS
10/12 - Portland, OR • Music Millenium • 3pm FREE
10/18 - Ontario, OR • The Frosty Badger • TICKETS
10/19 - Baker City, OR • Churchill School • TICKETS
Stay up to date on dates by following me on Bandsintown
And now, without further ado, here is my recap of Dreaming In Analog.
May 9th at The Moore was every bit as magical as the SMASH Benefit. (See my gig recap of that show here.). Presented by KEXP and hosted by John Richards, Dreaming in Analog was a night of music, stories and readings celebrating the life and legacy of beloved author and music journalist Charles R. Cross.
Charley and I go way back to his days at The Rocket, the weekly music rag integral to the development of the Seattle scene. He was an early champion of my music. For a Rocket cover story, he shadowed me on a trip to perform for my mom’s elementary school students on Bainbridge Island. Later, he interviewed me in front of an audience at an event sponsored by the Recording Academy. While we weren’t super close, I thought the world of Charley.
I was not alone in my fondness for the man. The historic theater was filled with love, making for a truly special night. In addition to songs that marked the many chapters of Charley’s life and distinguished career, there were stories and readings from his biographies on Kurt Cobain, Hendrix, Zeppelin, and Heart.
I claimed the naming rights for the stellar house band and deemed them The Jet City All-Stars. The bill was packed with a wide array of talented artists, and they masterfully backed them all.
To kick off our portion of the set, Elaine and I joined the all-star band augmented by our good pal Chris Ballew for a cover of Neil Young’s Harvest Moon.
Here we are in the bowels of The Moore making our way to the stage.
Next, we played “You Called Me Kid.” I thought it was nice to have a song that spoke to Charley’s role as a father. I dedicated it to his son, Ashland. Here is a video clip of our performance filmed on a phone from the audience. (Thanks, Frank!)
The Jet City All-Stars:
Elaine Summers (Vocal) • Ben Smith (Drums) • Mike Musburger (Percussion) • Andy Stoller (Bass) Dan Walker (Keys) • Chris Ballew (Keys) • Jeff Fielder (Guitar)
The night ended with a bang. My old American Recordings label mate Sir Mix-a-Lot blew the roof off of the historic theater with his mega hit, “Baby Got Back.” The crowd went nuts. Then, all the performers crammed on stage for a rousing rendition of “Ooh La La” by The Faces. It was a touching and life-affirming end to an incredibly moving night.
Big thanks to Nicole Jon Sievers and her team for crafting a wonderful event to honor Charley and celebrate Seattle’s amazing music community. I’m grateful to be a part of that community. I’ve heard rumblings that Charley Fest may happen again next May. Let’s hope so!
Thanks to The Fray’s Isaac Slade for this video clip.
GEAR DORKING
Before I sign off, I have a report on my new acoustic guitar preamp and EQ unit. In my ‘Tour Prep’ post from April 24, I mentioned that my Pendulum SPS-1, which had served me so well for decades, began giving me trouble. And with the company no longer in business, I felt it was time to move on. A friend hipped me to Grace Design’s FELIX 2. So after a bit of research, I picked one up.
It took me under a minute to set a level and dial in the EQ. And it sounded fantastic. Even better than the Pendulum. I could not believe it. To confirm what I was hearing, I had golden-eared producer and engineer Martin Feveyear listen, and he concurred. “Smooth… not harsh at all.” Martin has mixed many gigs with my old Pendulum rig, and even without a close A/B test, he agreed with me that the FELIX sounded noticeably better. And that’s no knock on the Pendulum. It sounds amazing too.
And FELIX fits on a pedal board! No more lugging around a 19” rack space case.
Dreaming in Analog was FELIX’s first gig, and it worked like a champ. Even in the video clip above, filmed on a phone from the audience, you can tell my guitar sounds sweet.
Perhaps at some point down the road, I’ll create a short video highlighting the many useful features of this bad boy.
Until then…
Below are a few snapshots, along with a clip of Chris Ballew taking care of autograph seekers and a look at folks milling around after the show.
Peace & Love Songs,
Pete
Super proud to have been invited to play with you that night buddy! Harmonically rich and spiritually fulfilling!! Good times good peeps.