Peter Alexander Band

As a card-carrying recovering political professional, I'm mostly beyond the reach of premise envy. But Maine's twist on a national healthcare campaign leaves me green. I teared up watching the rough cut of the "Begging for Change" YouTube video, which shows images of the heart-breaking fundraising jars, cans and piggy banks. You read bits of the stories taped to the containers while listening to an original song, written and performed by Portland's own Peter Alexander. (Being a musician, of course, he's recovering from the fact that the current YouTube video leaves out his guitar bridge, which he assures me kicks butt.)

The song, which is not called the Health Care Talking Points Blues but should be, is a Woody Guthrie-ish tune blasting millionaire CEOs, mocking Congress for having its own public health care while "we go begging" and noting that countries with public health care spend one-third of what the U.S. spends. Alexander, a stable of Maine's singer-songwriter circuit, said he was asked by the SEIU to do the song on a Friday, wrote it mostly on Saturday, then recorded it Sunday. He said the current YouTube version is evolving. The bridge, he predicts, will make a comeback. "I'm going to add it to my repertoire," promised Alexander, adding that it's difficult to write politically focused songs because the messages overcome the artistry.

During a press conference earlier this week, those in attendance began to clap along with the Alexander song, and by mid-week campaign workers had the YouTube version active. (It's at ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nonFMjU-iU8) And Alexander will be performing the song live at Andy's Pub Thursday, June 25 and at the St. Lawrence Arts Center Friday, June 26. I have no idea, musically, when something is about to make the big-time. But I will bet, politically, you will soon see the "Begging for Change" going national.

(Curtis Robinson is editor of The Portland Daily Sun.)

- The Portland Daily Sun

As a card-carrying recovering political professional, I'm mostly beyond the reach of premise envy. But Maine's twist on a national healthcare campaign leaves me green. I teared up watching the rough cut of the "Begging for Change" YouTube video, which shows images of the heart-breaking fundraising jars, cans and piggy banks. You read bits of the stories taped to the containers while listening to an original song, written and performed by Portland's own Peter Alexander. (Being a musician, of course, he's recovering from the fact that the current YouTube video leaves out his guitar bridge, which he assures me kicks butt.)

The song, which is not called the Health Care Talking Points Blues but should be, is a Woody Guthrie-ish tune blasting millionaire CEOs, mocking Congress for having its own public health care while "we go begging" and noting that countries with public health care spend one-third of what the U.S. spends. Alexander, a stable of Maine's singer-songwriter circuit, said he was asked by the SEIU to do the song on a Friday, wrote it mostly on Saturday, then recorded it Sunday. He said the current YouTube version is evolving. The bridge, he predicts, will make a comeback. "I'm going to add it to my repertoire," promised Alexander, adding that it's difficult to write politically focused songs because the messages overcome the artistry.

During a press conference earlier this week, those in attendance began to clap along with the Alexander song, and by mid-week campaign workers had the YouTube version active. (It's at ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nonFMjU-iU8) And Alexander will be performing the song live at Andy's Pub Thursday, June 25 and at the St. Lawrence Arts Center Friday, June 26. I have no idea, musically, when something is about to make the big-time. But I will bet, politically, you will soon see the "Begging for Change" going national.

(Curtis Robinson is editor of The Portland Daily Sun.)

- The Portland Daily Sun

Peter Alexander’s writing is solid as a rock: very engaging melodies, the harmony structure is varied and interesting, and the lyrical content is vivid, narrative, and with great use of fresh ideas as hooks.

Peter is a very entertaining guitar player; he obviously knows how to play the instrument from a technical point of view, but his embellishments, runs between chords, and use of the entire fretboard bring his playing to the audience in a way that makes his performance doubly entertaining.

Peter’s stage presence and engagement of the audience display his professionalism, but he does all that in a way that is personal, earnest, and sincere.

Polly and I just thoroughly enjoyed Peter’s performance at the St. Lawrence (where he opened for Ramblin’ Jack Elliott), in all of these ways; we both thought his first song, about the coast of Maine, was fantastic, and it hit home with both of us, who, while not native Mainers, love this place with all our hearts...

Bob McKillop
President, Maine Songwriters’ Association
- Maine Songwriters' Association

Peter Alexander’s writing is solid as a rock: very engaging melodies, the harmony structure is varied and interesting, and the lyrical content is vivid, narrative, and with great use of fresh ideas as hooks.

Peter is a very entertaining guitar player; he obviously knows how to play the instrument from a technical point of view, but his embellishments, runs between chords, and use of the entire fretboard bring his playing to the audience in a way that makes his performance doubly entertaining.

Peter’s stage presence and engagement of the audience display his professionalism, but he does all that in a way that is personal, earnest, and sincere.

Polly and I just thoroughly enjoyed Peter’s performance at the St. Lawrence (where he opened for Ramblin’ Jack Elliott), in all of these ways; we both thought his first song, about the coast of Maine, was fantastic, and it hit home with both of us, who, while not native Mainers, love this place with all our hearts...

Bob McKillop
President, Maine Songwriters’ Association
- Maine Songwriters' Association