a few weeks ago...

I went to see Peter and the Wolf at an artsy house-turned venue called Super Happy Fun Land. His band's lineup changes in every city and ranges from only the lone Red Hunter himself to an almost circus-like 14+.

PatW's music might set off the freak-folk flag for most, but just like any artist pigeon-holed into any genre it's not like it's intentional. It just is. I guess you can imagine something similar along the lines of Devendra Banhart, CocoRosie or Akron/Family, but then that doesn't even sound right.

After the band, Listen Listen was finished; we thought why isn't anyone setting up?

The answer was they didn't need to.

It was Red Hunter, his guitar, a mike, and an amp. Just him standing with a guitar that has been wrapped around with tape, go figure. He looked like a pirate with his pants that seemed to have a tough time with scissors and for awhile everyone thought, "is this it? Well this is going to really really awkward or really really amazing," It wasn't neither of those two; it was honestly eye, ear, jaw-opening experince I've ever had.

I'd like to think he's our modern-day troubadour. The most honest form of music-making and the proof will hit you as soon as you hear his voice that will stay with you your whole life filling your head with his stories.
He'll stay with you.

How could something so simple be so good? I was sitting back on the theater-style seats and just enjoying myself hearing him tell us stories in an almost conversational way. It was almost as if it was a house-party and we were all friends and just having a hell of a time. He's so comfortable playing and talking to the audience.

After awhile he invited members from the audience and the other bands that played that night to play their makeshift instrument of choice to keep the beat. One guy had one of those plastic kiddie chairs and another played with a beer bottle. It was improv like I've never seen before. I've got his self-titled album and his Experiments in Junk. The former has been busy spinning circles in my stereo ever since.

On this long-winding tour, there will be secret shows and at the most unusual locations. He's already played on an island and all the people had to arrive by canoes. Abandoned buses, graveyards and unused underpasses and will leave his Toyota Corolla in the garage for awhile and travel by sailboat on the Intracoastal Waterway that runs along the east coast for the last leg of his tour.

The rest of his tour is at the PatW MySpace you should go see him or at least listen to "Strange Eyes". If you do get to experience PatW send him our love.

Tune in&purchase:

...from S/T

Peter and the Wolf-The Owl
Peter and the Wolf-Silent Movies
Peter and the Wolf-Strange Machines

~Anne