To see Pete these days, you wouldn’t guess where he’s been. The unassuming, shy appearance belies a singer whose previous act (a duo with Kat Maslich) had him opening for established folk act Tracy Chapman amongst others.
These days, Pete has generally shed the poppy keyboard driven songs in favor of a simpler guitar-picking approach. And the intimate setting of Jammin’ Java (16 miles and a world away from DC). He plays with whoever is available on the given tour (I saw him share the stage with fellow songwriter Steve Reynolds a few years back)
For the first few numbers, Luke Brindley joined Peter on dobro and the pair was certainly in sync. Brindley’s guitar played the perfect compliment to Peter’s more rhythm guitar backbone. The two played new song “Family Name†and the live version bested even the track from the new album.
On Peter’s last album, the single “The Longer I Run†was a particular standout from the set of tunes. Rosi Golan joined Peter for harmony vocals and the vocal blend was natural.
About halfway through the hour long set (after the two other performers left the stage), Peter took the reins completely. He played the lead single from his new record Traces, called “For You.†While Adams certainly can hold the stage down himself, I really wanted to hear the subtle layers captured on the album. He then segued into the subtler, downtempo tracks including “Darkening Sky†which was included on the show The Mentalist.
Adams then finished off the set with a cover “I Cannot Settle Down,†which was “stolen†from a friend of his. I didn’t realize that it was a cover until that moment.
While he won’t get you out of your seat, Peter’s live show offers some of the great subtle lyrics and hooks from a truly talented songwriter. He truly meshes literate lyrics with well-constructed melodies. He just needs some percussion to realize the true power of the songs.
Photos: Suzanne Davis
About the author: Jeff is a teacher in the Boston area. When not buried correcting papers, Jeff can be found plucking various stringed instruments and listening to all types of americana music.