Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
"...one of the funniest, most original acts in town." - Time Out New York
Discography
About twenty of our songs can be streamed on the website: www.petersonic.com
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
The Petersons come prepared with a completely new show (and sometimes a special guest) for each performance. Previous guests include Academy Award winner Paul Newman, Tony Award winners James Naughton and Robert Sean Leonard, Emmy Award nominee Michael C. Hall, That 70’s Show’s Mila Kunis, the uncategorizable John Cameron Mitchell, Virgin Records recording artist Gavin DeGraw, Ben Shenkman (of HBO’s Angels in America), cabaret phenomenon Rene Risque, singer/songwriter Mike Doughty (formerly of Soul Coughing), and many more.
The basic gist of each performance is this: five actor-musicians play “The Petersons”, a band from the (fictional) upstate town of Essex-on-Haugatuck. Every show is different, tailored in a site-specific way by the band for each particular date. Every show is made up of situations, commentary and music inspired by the idiosyncratic small-town culture of their native (and fictional) Essex-on-Haugatuck. All the songs are original compositions.
The group includes Mr. Peterson, a mailman who moonlights as the frontman of the outfit; Mrs. Peterson, an adulteress and self-described “sensualist” who sings and plays the percussive egg; Pete Petersen (no relation), who drums and lives in his trailer parked in the Peterson’s driveway; Julio, on bass, a Mexican immigrant formerly married to Mrs. Peterson’s sister Claudia, but who now sleeps above the Peterson’s garage, much like The Fonz; and Father Tom, the lead guitarist, a defrocked priest who resides in the Peterson’s attic.
The Petersons have played 31 (or so) sold out shows in NYC at such venues as Joe's Pub, the Bottom Line, Fez, The Cutting Room, The Copacabana, the Whitney Museum of Contemporary Art and the West Bank Cafe. They just completed a workshop of their brand new theatrical show at the renowned New York Stage and Film.
Because every member of the band writes music, the vibe is very eclectic and influences range far and wide. Mr. Peterson seems to favor melodic compositions: his influences include Crowded House, Gordon Sumner, and early Tom Waits. Mrs. Peterson loves Joni Mitchell and Ani DeFranco, but she's totally not a lesbian. Pete and Father Tom share an affinity for Rush, and Julio's tastes run from mariachi to Kiss.
Come visit The Petersons—the door’s always open.
“One of the funniest, most original shows in town”— Time Out New York
Links
