I'll second that. A Pour House show would be great! Please consider that Peter.

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Replying to:

So...any chance of a solo show at a low key venue in the area like...say...the Pour House during any of the down times between the periods on the road with Hootie & the Blowfish?

Peter, I hear eveything you're saying but was a little dismayed about the "brass ring" comment. Don't worry about rings and your music will take care of itself. God knows you have what it takes.

I'm not meaning to sound lecturing or patronizing here, just wanted to share that thought.

Don't be dismayed. By clarification of the 'brass ring' comment, I meant that anyone who makes a recording is trying to get it heard by people. Music is a calling, a vocation, a wonderful and artistically free one, but it doesn't always translate into enough remuneration to support a family, which is the number one concern. I know we're good and talented; we'd just like to make it possible to make our music self-supporting as well. That's all I meant. I certainly have no pop star delusions anymore, and gratefully so. All I can and want to do is write and sing my songs, and for people to hear them and hopefully enjoy and embrace them. I am grateful for every use of one of my songs, in hopes that it will draw someone's ear toward the catalog. And I'm one of the very lucky ones who does have songs that get to have a life after their initial release (Claire Lynch's bluegrass version of "White Train" is wonderful!) So please don't think me complaining or making unstable justifications; I'm just being pragmatic about what some of the factors are that don't make things more smooth in the world of dB's recording.

And yes, we'd certainly take a big fat hit record if that happened. By now, we're old and wise enough to not buy a dumptruck full of blow and Jagermeister with the spoils!

Sincerely,
Peter

Peter:

I am sure everyone here would be thrilled if you had a break-out hit in any of your musical "guises" for exactly the same reasons you just articulated.

By the way, I am very happy to hear that a follow-up to "Mavericks" is in the works. Like at least one or two others have mentioned, that was my first taste of your music and led me to both the dbs and the Contintental Drifters.

Speaking of the Drifters, I caught two fabulous shows by Susan on Saturday, at JazzFest and the Carrollton Station show ("Rubber Soul" was a blast, as you can imagine). Ray Ganucheau was sitting in so it was a mini reunion of early & late Drifters.

Take care out there in Hootie-world!

Gray