So you wrote a couple of funny songs at which
people laughed, and now you want to start your own band.
You’ve figured out that being onstage is cool —
there’s plenty of free beer, and you get lots of attention
when once no one knew your name. So what’s a feller to do? Go
get a band and a catchy name, learn some songs, and play everywhere
you possibly can, just as fast as you are able. So far this plan is working for one Peter
Shukoff. He and a high-school buddy wrote a funny song called
“Dumpity Dump Dump” a few years ago (available as an
MP3 at www.nicepeter.com). That was enough to get young Peter
excited about making it in the music business. Since then he has
produced several CDs, toured the United Kingdom, and plays
constantly around the Midwest. Shunning the practice-a-lot philosophy
preferred by other musicians, Shukoff went straight for the stage,
mixing those silly songs with distorted covers and lots of
improvisational chatter. A few examples of his ability to write
crudely, rudely, and ever so cleverly are “Spanglish,”
an ode to a girl mixing Spanish and English, and “Fat
Italian,” which explains in graphic terms the consequences of eating too many pasta
carbs. Nothing is sacred in the Nice Peter
catalogue, as other song titles demonstrate. We have the
“Bush Song,” the “Mystery of the Clit,”
“Smoke That Weed,” and “Tru Gansta” —
you get the idea. Along with those originals, the band has covered
“Hey Jude,” “Rainbow Connection,” and,
I’m afraid, many other classics that possibly bear little
resemblance to the original recordings. Now add to those songs Shukoff’s
God-given talent for improv, and you have quite a show. He likes to
make fun of patrons, discuss the weather, expound on the political
scene, and pretty much expose those within listening range to the
meanderings of his mind while keeping it all in a song. It may not
be for everyone, but everyone should try Nice Peter once.
Nice Peter does his thing at Marly’s Pub
(9 W. Old State Capitol Plaza, 217-522-2280), 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
Thursday, Feb. 9. The cover charge is $3. Fans of the late,
great Johnny Cash should tune their radio dials to WUIS (91.9 FM)
at 3 p.m. every Saturday in February to catch the wonderful program
about the larger-than-life artist. Last week was the first episode
of Cash: The Legend, but just in case you forgot (as I did), this is your
gentle reminder. FaceLift, a local
heavy-rock band, will be taking a break from performing for the
next few months to record a new CD. Fans and friends alike who may
feel a longing for the group’s raucous live show should get
their fix on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Forty-Niner Bye-Bye (518
Bruns Lane, 217-787-4937). The show starts at 9 p.m. and runs till
1 a.m. The No Name Bar (101
E. Adams St., 217-528-5100) kicks off a monthly jazz series on
Thursday, Feb. 9, with “Real Time.” The bar, located in
the State House Inn, will be hosting live jazz bands on the second
Thursday of each month. It’s a fine room and a great
opportunity to experience live early-evening entertainment, which,
if the grapevine is operating properly, seems to be a great need
here in the capital city. Answering that need are Lisa Rusher and Larry
Roerig, the creators of “In Bed by Ten,” another
early-evening entertainment opportunity. Rusher and Roerig are with
MICE, the organization that brings live music to places in which it
is not usually allowed. The enterprising couple has rented the old
St. Nicholas Hotel ballroom (Fourth and Jefferson streets), hired
the finest in local talent, and brought in Turasky’s Catering
to supply food and drink. Acts are booked through December on the
third Wednesday of each month, 6-7:30 p.m. The next show, with the indomitable
Springfield Shaky performing acoustic blues, is Feb. 15.
Here’s a tip: The entrance door is on the north side of the
building, on Jefferson Street. Another tip: Ask your friends who
were of concert-going age in the late ’60s and early
’70s whether they can remember seeing live bands in the
ballroom during those heady, hazy days of yore. Congratulations are
extended to Sandbox 101, celebrating a year of playing out in
public. All are invited to the rock quartet’s graduation
party, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at Frankie’s (2765 S.
Sixth St., 217-523-0308).
This article appears in Feb 9-15, 2006.
