I love Pete's wry song stories, lovely singable melodies and personable funny stage presence. He always brings along great musicians - this time Sean Shanahan from Honeybucket on banjo and guitar, and Tonya Voxman the amazing fiddler who used to play with the Sugarbeets back in the day. They sounded great together. He had his kids minding the merchandise. That's a well appreciated part of a Market gig, you can bring your kids along!
I also love Pete because he was the first musician to save my precious behind way back on my second or third Market ever in 1992. Somebody called and bailed out about half an hour before their set. Of course I had zero clue about what to do about that. I didn't come into the job knowing anything about booking or running a stage. Movie theater, yes, I had that down. Crowds ready to see a performance, yes, completely familiar. Hence my panicky vision an hour of silence from the stage and the ensuing riot. Freaking out just slightly (!!), I asked Frank Cardoza who was my co-worker and who did know about these things, for a suggestion about what to do. "See that guy over there with the guitar? That's Peter Wilde. He's really good. Go ask him if he can fill in." And so, seeing no choice but to trust, I did go ask. And he gladly obliged. And I loved his wry song stories, singable melodies and personable stage presence. And now, still grateful, still happy to have him on the stage, still finding that a Wilde hour improves my day.
Three other of my favorite guys with guitars played on Saturday too, making even more of my happy stage day, Olem Alves, Eagle Park Slim and Jerry Zybach, and then the nice surprise of a new band at the end of the day, The Huckleberries, from Cottage Grove, playing a fun country/retro/Americana kind of set. All in all, a very sweet day!
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