Peter Mulvey performs at the NightCat in Easton Saturday, October 6.
Peter Mulvey occupies a relatively large space in my file cabinet full of memories. The first release I have promoting an Andy’s show is for Friday, June 5, 1998 ( Deep Blue: a trainwreck between Leo Kottke, Prince and Michael Stipe) but I’m fairly certain he performed there at least once or twice prior to that. Rapture, his major label debut (long hair in the poster) contains an audience favorite, “On the Way Up” and was recorded prior to Deep Blue.
Mulvey continued to play at Andy’s at least twice a year through various booking agents, publicists and record labels until the venue closed. By 2000 (The Trouble With Poets: the Leo Kottke influence… is fading, replaced by Tom Waits and the Latin Playboys, although Mulvey’s agile, funky acoustic guitar remains central), he was consistently packing the house. By 2002 (Ten Thousand Mornings: recorded live on Boston Subway’s Davis Square T stop, and features long- loved covers) he and I, and his fabulously talented sidekick, writing partner and producer David (Goody) Goodrich had become close friends. We would stay up talking into the early morning hours, and go for bike rides in the morning before they took off for the next gig. By 2006 (Knuckleball Suite: the songs aptly display why he has… been compared to such heavyweights as Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman…) Mulvey was working with one of the top national booking agencies and commanding a fair performance fee. No more $5 cover charges at the door, we upped the price and charged entrance to the back room only.
The press releases end in 2007 (Notes from Elsewhere: a retrospective collection, recorded solo; fresh takes of fan and critic favorites.) His last Andy’s performance was March 6 of 2009 (Letters from a Flying Machine had not yet been released.)
Luckily for all of us, the NightCat in Easton has become Mulvey’s new Eastern Shore stop. He’s on stage this Saturday, October 6. The latest recording, The Good Stuff, is comprised of standards: everything from Tom Waits to Duke Ellington to Thelonious Monk. And there is a second cd, Chaser, from the same session. They must have been having a really good time.
Notice on the NightCat website that the description reads, “A house favorite.” Amen to that.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
8 pm
Tickets $15
NightCat
5 Goldsborough St
Easton, MD 21601
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