Peter Wolf fans are getting a treat this month, with Peter on the road for eight shows in 12 days. Dennis and I caught him at the Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury on Sunday night. Last time we saw him was in May last year up in Portland, Maine, and I suppose that was the last time I gave him a listen. So it was good to dust off Midnight Souvenirs and Sleepless last week and squeeze them into the Van rotation, getting prepped for the show. Tonight I’ve got a Peter Wolf mix going on YouTube. You’ve gotta love YouTube. I think for my next vacation, I am going to take a week off and just watch YouTube. Some of the Peter Wolf videos they have up there are classics. Check out “Come As You Are“for starters, then “Lights Out“– you’ll get an idea of the energy this guy has.
And he brings it all to the stage. A dancing fool, with all the right moves, across the stage and down into the audience for a couple of songs for the ladies. He’s got some seriously dedicated fans and they are in full participation mode all night long. Most of them go back to the J Geils days and could sing you every word coming out of Peter’s mouth. Too funny … about halfway through the show, Peter’s in locomotion with “Wastin’ Time” when all of a sudden, a transformer blows and everything goes dead up on stage. No problem; he turns to the audience and they sing the song through to the end. These guys know their stuff.
It took about half an hour, but they got the band hooked up to auxilliary power and away we went for the second half of the show. I don’t know the song, I wish I did, but early in the second set, there was an instrumental featuring the pedal steel and double bass – a nice tribute to both of them. Great band – with Duke Levine on guitar, and on piano, Kenny White, who was also the opening act. Stellar pianist – his hands were a blur in the flourishes – and a captivating song stylist. White produced Peter’s last three records, and when they’re playing together up on stage, it’s easy to see why it works. A big recommend for Kenny White.
As for Peter, he was his typical charged self. From “Must Have Got Lost” and “Love Stinks” to”Riverside Drive,” “Nothing But The Wheel” and last year’s “Tragedy,”he touched down on points throughout his career. It was an especially nice treat to hear “Women Are Lonely” from 1990’s Up To No Good. Altogether, a superb show. Wish you were there!