Back from tour for a week and a day, relaxing, taking care of business I couldn’t reach from the road, and generally just kicking back and diggin’ the whole scene for a change.
The tours been going swell. The Nancy Fly Agency that book me now do a really great job, I’m happy to report. There’s none of the thousand-mile-drives-to-the-next-show, or nights in a row off, or senseless clubs that have always seemed to crop up on my tours in the past. The audiences have turned out, the sounds have been good, the whole things just pretty cool. So that’s good.
Shout outs to the various bands and musicians I worked with out there (members of my ‘extended musical family’) including Lee Flier’s great combo What The…? from Atlanta, who ran all over the South with me; Brad Rice and Stephan Belans (guitar and drums respectively) on the Texas leg; drummer Baird Banner on the New Mexico run; drummer Joe in Saint Louis; the Buffalo gang of my old pals Mark Winsick and Jim Whitford, along with drummer Rob Lynch; DJ Bonebrake, of course, drummer extrordinaire for the Northern California shows; and Julian McDonagh, drummmer for the Washington shows.
Also a big thumbs up and thanks to my fellow travellers Frank Lee Drennan, (of Dead Rock West fame) who was the tour manager on the whole first leg, and Kasey Anderson, (the songwriter-singer) who travelled with me in the Northwest.
Now its been a year and a hlf since I’d toured, and the feeling is a bit different out there. The recession is making itself felt, but people still turn out for gigs. On the other hand, cd’s may have gone out of favor a bit, people are more into downloading a favorite song or two instead of buying a whole cd. Vinyl sales are a bigger part of the picture. I’m glad to see the LPs come back, sad to see the download thing happen. I’ve always made ALBUMS, groups of songs meant to listened to TOGETHER… it’s what I do, and I’ll keep doin’ it. But is the public listening?
The hard core are listening, and thats who I’m working for now, apparently. I’m planning the next projects. I’m still really excited about making music, songs, records, etc… “This next one’s going to be great!” That’s where I always try to take it… I’m turned on by something now but I can’t talk about it ’til it’s ready.
Spoke with Frank Reiss at Everthemore Books in Atlanta, about getting part 2 of my saga ‘As Far As You Can Get Without A Passport,’ out, ASAP. But I want to go over it one more time first, and there’s one more story I need to include. I’m working on it, it’s nearly there.
Also, a book of interviews and poetry, edited by David Ensminger in Houston (formally editor of Left Of The Dial.) This is a pretty far out collection including some wild poetry written on tour of Europe a few years back, and also some wigged out pieces on various well loved (at least by ME!) singers . I’m really into this one too, it’s another side to my writing etc… It’ll be available at gigs soon.
Once again, I’m considering a huge series of archival releases… out takes, rarities, odd songs etc… the time has come I think, to open the ‘vaults.’
All these projects and more soon, details to be found HERE.
Tomorrow: what the hell is going on with OUR COUNTRY?
I’m in Tulsa for the night, in the middle of the drive from Columbia, Mo. to Austin for rehearsal with Brad Rice and Stephan Belans for the Texas tour… The gigs have been going swell. Highlights include all the dates with What The…? especially the packed house Decatur show, and the one in Memphis, where Ross Johnson (of Panther Burns, and spoken word fame) sat in on drums. Paul from the Nerves jumped up and we did When You Find Out, Day In And Day Out, and Paper Dolls.
The show in Louieville was a gas, at the Rudyard Kipling, which was attended by a full house including an old streetsinging bud, Joel Timothy, and my Geffen a&r person of yore, Theresa Ensenat.
The Newport, Kentucky show had a lot of problems, with the club booking a loud band in the room downstairs which nearly ruined the show, until a woman fan went down and told them what for, and they stopped. A great bunch there …
In St Louis drummer Joe Meyer joined up for the Euclid Records in store, and the Off Broadway gig, which went off great, with Beatle Bob right up front for the whole thing, doing his dancing thing. At the store a version of Nadine was recorded for a possible 7 inch single… more on this soon.
I can’t say much more now, but it’s hot as a blast furnace everywhere we go. I’m with Frank from Dead Rock West. who’s doing the long distance driving while I put on music, read Blake, tell and listen to stories, and stare out the windows. I’m really looking forward to the Texas run… I’ll give more of the lowdown once I get a day off in Atlanta next week…
July 09, 2010
PICO BLVD — Santa Monica officially has a new holiday to celebrate.
Today, June 9, has officially been named Peter Case Day in honor of the long-time resident and musician who has been a fixture at the famous McCabe’s Guitar Shop for over a decade.
City Hall is expected to issue a proclamation to Case, honoring him for his continued service to the community as a musician, songwriter, and teacher. However, his time here has not been easy. In early 2009 Case underwent emergency open-heart surgery, an experience which he said showed him how much love he has in the community.
“The support has been fantastic, I was very thankful that I have great friends and a great community to offer it,” Case said. “When I first came to Santa Monica, I knew right from the beginning that I wanted to live here. I like the aspects of the smaller town that Santa Monica has. There’s always a real sense of community.”
Case has come a long way since he first moved to Santa Monica over 20 years ago. Has he just released a new album — “Wig!” — which is his first album since surgery. Recorded in only three days, Case says the release is extremely exciting.
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“It’s a rock ‘n’ roll/blues record, and soon I’ll be on the road, going out and playing for the first time since my surgery. It feels great.”
Case has performed at local venues such as Santa Monica College, the Alligator Lounge, the Morgan-Wixson Theatre and the Ash Grove, formerly located on the pier, where he was a regular artist.
However, he feels most at home in McCabe’s, where he both plays and teaches.
“My first show there was in 1984, and I’ve been teaching and playing there ever since,” he said. “It’s a great community center that people from all over the world come to visit.”
With this in mind, it’s fitting that Case will debut his new album at that location. In honor of the release of “Wig!”, Case is scheduled to perform two shows tonight at McCabe’s — at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Case hopes to continue to play in Santa Monica, and he says he will return to teaching at McCabe’s in January after going on the road with his new album.
“I like being on the road but I also like teaching, and I think it is a great thing for me to be doing.”
One thing is for sure; Case will forever be remembered in Santa Monica history.
“Peter is an incredible songwriter and performer, someone who keenly observes the human condition and finds a way to match words with music to express a feeling, an opinion, and a perspective while entertaining an audience, and, in fact, usually raising the roof,” Santa Monica City Councilman Kevin McKeown said.
Blues historian Barry Lee Pearson (Sounds Good to Me: The Bluesman’s Story, Virginia Piedmont Blues) attempted to document the gritty intensity of the Big Joe persona in this description:
‘When I saw him playing at Mike Bloomfield’s “blues night” at the Fickle Pickle, Williams was playing an electric nine-string guitar through a small ramshackle amp with a pie plate nailed to it and a beer can dangling against that. When he played, everything rattled but Big Joe himself. The total effect of this incredible apparatus produced the most buzzing, sizzling, African-sounding music I have ever heard.’
