Imagine a hybrid of Leonard Cohen & Tom Waits with the intensity of Nick Cave. Now, add a fantastic backing band, Moonriivr, and you have a recipe for something extraordinary.
Peter Dreams is a new project from Peter Dreimanis, who you might know from July Talk.
How Peter Dreams Differs from July Talk
When Peter Dreimanis is performing with Leah Fay in July Talk, there is this Yin Yang dynamic where both build on each other’s energy. I asked Peter after the show how this solo project is different:
“It’s more song-focused, this thing that I’m bouncing off of, instead of the band and Leah…me and her having this churning thing, that I’m still committed to.”
Peter challenges himself and his audience with his music. “The thing about this is me against the song. It’s the way I felt when I wrote it and the idea behind it. It’s like bashing myself into this older feeling, whereas July Talk songs I wrote 12 years ago, that we now perform, is not always that I’m revisiting the headspace I was in when we wrote it.”
July Talk has conflict & resolution throughout the performance. A push and pull if you pardon the pun. “I’m in this state against Leah, against each other, and the five-piece band. This is more like teleporting back.”
Peter will be in the now while tapping into these fresh memories and feelings. When he’s on stage, you can feel that he is in another plane of reality, interpreting what he is seeing and feeling from that other side.
Peter is also challenging the audience to pay attention. It’s as if he is saying: This is important, let’s talk.
“I hope it’s important. I’m not in any space to insist that I have something that people need to be in, but we are all battling against disassociation. We are all battling against the dopamine you get elsewhere.”
Many don’t realize how damaging it is to have contact bursts of dopamine from our phone, which end up dulling reality.
“Sometimes, when I’m watching a show that matters to me, for that one chaotic moment, I feel that I can let go…it’s like a strange break from chasing the phone.”
He will sing directly at some in the audience, even into Jason Rockman’s phone, eventually lowering it for him.
Jason Rockman remembered the Jack White tour where you had to put your phone in a pouch.
“I remember what Jack said about that tour. In between bands, you are not on the phone, so you meet this person” as Peter gestures to someone next to him.
Conclusion
I have been asking, which show would I pay $100 to see, and for FME Friday, this is the one. It was intense and the music grabbed our collective attention. We escaped our world for a brief period and joined Peter’s, with curiosity as to what we would find.
We found something you have to experience in person, to fully understand.
Is this the end of July Talk?
Peter puts those thoughts to rest.
“I love making July Talk records and I can’t wait to do more.”
Writer & Photos/Video: Randal Wark is a Professional Speaker and MasterMind Facilitator with a passion for live music. You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. His Podcast RockStar Today helps musicians quit their day jobs with out-of-the-box advice from Ted Talk Speakers, Best Selling Authors and other interesting Entrepreneurs and Creatives. He created the Rock Star Today Music Business Jam Session for musicians. Randal is a collector of signed vinyl, cassettes and CDs.
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