Tour Diary - Portlandia

We left my dear cousin Alex in Seattle, after a walk around their neighborhood and breakfast at a bakery, holding my ears as the Blue Angels made circle after circle around us. Loud FAST. Got a walk in before it was unbearable outside - in by 10am and still already sweaty. Alex's dog kept flopping down in the shade, refusing to go any further before a nice rest.

The drive to Portland was smooth - no traffic! No sitting for an hour in 105 with ac only working 30 sec at a time! Hallelujah! We met Cliff - awesome bass player - first to practice before the show. This great house was under a beautiful water tower. Felt like a fairy land because it makes you small.

Off to Berbati's - load in, hot, set up, hot, eat dinner, nice breeze outside. My wonderful sister Jody came to meet us and help with everything. The club was big and beautiful, the sound clear

I read the review in the Mercury, and was stunned for a bit. It's the best review Petracovich has gotten from this often snide paper. But it was the first time I'd seen my son Otto's name in print, and it hit me hard in a way I didn't expect, melding worlds - this big glitzy club, me as a performer, me as a mama with a broken heart. I didn't know how to combine them. I'm glad I'm telling his story, this beautiful boy, but it's also an intense thing to share, to put out there, and then go on stage. There's no right way to do it.


So I had a good cry, and then went up and played. Max and Cliff made a full sound, when they first came in, a smile came over me, and it was fun from then on out. (Including the last 30 sec. of a tune where the Nord slowly fell onto my main piano and I played only with my left hand) We fixed it. Read the Oregonion review of the show here


The show started much later than we were told - thanks to dear friends who came and waited! I thought it would be earlier too. Carcrashlander played a beautiful set - I love Cory's tunes, and all the players - the trumpet takes the cake.

Speaking of cake - Voodoo donuts is right next door and I got my first taste - they make these delectables in all sorts of shapes and sizes - all SORTS. We were fairly tame with these...I'll be adding more shots of petracovich on-stage in a couple days. Check in!

Tour Diary - Seattle Crazy Hot

I heard someone say it was the hottest day in the history of Seattle. I haven't looked it up but I'm going with it. Challenging, yes. But not as much for me as the people who've never felt this before - a little grouchy! A look of panic in the eyes...

Cooled down a little at night, though we finished our set pretty damp, everyone hugging each other lightly with tacky skin and beaded-sweat foreheads. The Beautiful Clarks were as great as I thought they'd be, solid songs, mellow but strong playing. Amanda Skylar Burlesonhttp://www.myspace.com/amandaburleson was beautiful too - piano and guitar tones, lovely voice. It was a wonderful bill.

Pretty Seattle sunset as the smog hangs around.

We had a fun time playing once we got going, the hard part is setting up in the heat. Playing is always fun. Great crowd, real listeners, friends, family, new people, all kind people.

I love being in a town I don't live in...traveling. It's so much easier to notice people - a man walking into a church with a slow limp, the guy in the ice cream truck blasting music with a good beat in a language i don't know, mamas walking their babies down the sidewalk, it's all more poignant. And the trees are different here - more firs, more types I don't know about, all blended together in a way i'm not used to, it's refreshing.

We're playing in Eugene on the radio live on Friday! KLLC are the call-letters - on at 4:15 you can listen live! More later. Much love, thanks for all your support and orders and hugs.

Jessica and Max

Amazing clouds yesterday in the 110 degree heat - we used the iphone for an ap that finds ice cream - so Baskin Robins in Centralia - mint chip of coarse - a great stop, a treat, finding our way around a little town, sorta broken down but with charm.

Tour Diaries - Salem! 105!

We had a beautiful drive, 11 hours to Salem in clear blue sky weather. Seemed all good in the car but we watched the temp climb to 110 in some places. Good old subaru held up, good girl.

We had a blast playing for the good people in Salem, sitting in an un-air-conditioned cafe, in the heat, and waiting for us to play. They sweated it out, and clapped and sang, and we drank iced water and laughed at drenched shirts but did good.

Easterly is one of my favorite bands, Noah's gorgeous voice, the sweet melodies, the rocking drums and bass make it such a pleasure to be around. Thanks so much for playing!

Off now to Seattle, eating apples, pretzels, talking about social media and food and Obama in the car. Good times.

Carcrashlander - Playing with us in Portland

Listen

This band was one of the few I could really listen to in the months of deep sadness this past year. Cory Gray is the main songwriter/singer, and he gets to a place that's deep and rumbling but gentle. Gets to an underneath place and then speaks softly but firmly, of what's there. It's dark but not dramatic, it's like a foggy night and you can hear a rock band in the distance. Piano, textured synth, tasteful bass and rumbly drums, it's my kind of sound.

Indieville.com says Carcrashlander treats us to "sprawling, artistic indie rock that is awash in atmosphere and melody... the real treat is the strolling build Driveway, which brings a sublimely pretty pop haze to a soaring climax."

Cory plays piano on the album, he also plays the trumpet and various horns. When we recorded Crepusculo in Portland with John Askew producing/recording, he recommended this horn player to come add some parts. His name sounded really familiar to me, and after a few days I figured it out - we'd taken piano lessons together as kids in Santa Rosa, CA, many years before! It was great to see him again, both of us all growns up, still playing our tunes, remembering those highschool days, and in Portland at the same time.

Come check them out this Thursday July 30th in Portland at Berbati's Pan with Petracovich!
If you know Portland peeps, tell them about the show, send them along!
Petracovich tour dates

Tour Diary! Santa Rosa - Last Record Store

So much fun at the Last Record Store on Saturday in my home town, Santa Rosa. Great turn out, awesome store where you can find any CD, record of your taste, and Amber Lee played some awesome acordian and sang beautifully.

My favorite part were the dancing kids up front. I'd open my eyes and see these little guys with their arms up and swirling all around, or tapping their knees and letting it all out. Just feeling it! Thanks to all you little ones who danced and showed us all your freedom and inspiration! Gave a very festive feel.







I'm having so much fun playing with Max. It's been almost 3 years now that we've played together and it's feeling so full and easy, the drums make so much energy. I love it!

We leave Tuesday for Salem, and today I'm getting ready for the long 9 hour drive - Trader Joes snacks, books on CD, music, what else?

And I'm promoting promoting promoting. If you have friends in these towns, send them along!

Jessica

Seattle Show July 29th: The Beautiful Clarks and Amanda Burleson

Joining me in Seattle on July 29th at Tost Lounge:
The Beautiful Clarks (Listen)

Lovely, mellow and full of heart alt-country tunes. Damien Jurado and Rosie Thomas, sing on their album. Here's a live review from Three Imaginary Girls

Given that it was a Tuesday night, I expected the Sunset to be at least a bit subdued. To my surprise, I walked into a nearly full venue and a crowd of animated show goers. Of a four-band bill, I must concede that the Clarks were the draw for me...

Fittingly enough, Hatcher began the Beautiful Clarks set with "Bended Knee." He played it solo, just his voice and a lap steel. Wearing overalls and spectacles, sporting a well-coiffed mustache, he looks the part of a southern gent. His voice is soulful beyond his years, still clear and strong. The rowdy venue was nearly silent throughout the song...

Hatcher's lyrics created landscapes, ones full of longing and heartache. He sings of "barges singing" and perfectly evokes fall with a simple description of "red and yellow leaves." The line "how I lied to you" was delivered with a mischievous grin. Rather than seeming sinister, it's simply comical; Hatcher's face made it clear he couldn't resist smiling. His voice rolls across that line like a drunken confession. The accompaniment matched each picture in tone and soul. My plus one pointed out there were no tuners onstage; Sparks and Hatcher simply bend the strings to arrive at the right note.

And Amanda Burleson (Listen)

Softly floating, poetic and soothing. Her influences are listed as

The Zeitgeist of childhood, loneliness, boredom, heartbreak, drunkenness, stupor, love and surrender. Musically speaking: Bjork, Thom Yorke, Satie, Daniel Johnston, Brian Eno, Cranes, Nina Simone, Elliott Smith, Jeff Buckley, Sol Seppy, etc.

Boy Who Was Caught - Story Behind the Song

Listen

Driving home from a northwest tour, we were coming down an Oregon mountain on 101, a summery pretty day, and started passing cops on the side of the road, looking for something in the grass. We thought it was curious, started paying attention. After 2 or 3 of them we saw a big line-up of police cars with flashing lights, the freeway closed, and a bunch of police with their guns drawn, pointing to the middle of the road, just as we passed, a young man, 16 or 17 years old, in front of a beat-up car that had run into the middle barrier, throws his hands up and falls to his knees.

The look on his face: terror, sadness, childhood.

To see such a turning point, such a vulnerable, awful moment for another human, tore me up. I couldn't help but cry it out, write it down, want to help him. I don't know what had happened, what he was involved with, if he'd done something bad.

But at that moment I just wanted to help him know it would be ok.

The song came together in the weeks after that and I recorded it at home and it was put on the shelf for a few years. And on one of those listening sessions I do sometimes, that covers songs I've recorded at home over a few years, I found it again, and it got to me, I wanted it out in the open.

I sing it for that young man, for myself in times when you feel like you can't get lower, that there's always a way up again. Things shift up, they shift down, this can always be counted on.

There's a good human element in us I think, that when we share such an intense moment with someone, we keep a part of that person with us always, we bond with them, even if we never know them or see them again, our paths have crossed in a way we'll remember. I hope he's ok. Send him some good thoughts.

Lyrics
To the boy who was caught
Crashed the car and gave up
I saw your face
As you fell to your knees

I don’t know what you did
I saw them look for something
I saw them in the grass
I cried for miles after
Just like your mama will

To the boy who gave up
In the Oregon sun
With the red shining lights
And the dogs waiting by

I don’t care what you did
I saw them pointing their guns
I saw your arms raised high
I cried for miles after
Just like your mama will
Oh Boy don’t give up

Music verse and chorus

To the child who was trapped (double octave)
Guns at your back
It’s not your last
Chance

Why’d you do what you did?
You’ve fallen hard upon the pavement
The sun is shining kind upon you
Let it go, take it off, take it off here
Spread it out on the ground , it feels good
To GIVE UP

We leave Tuesday, July 29th for Salem and the Northwest! A new tour!
View our tour dates here
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