Amos Pitsch

I made a ( ) dancing hand man outta my own hands for this truly fabulous show happenin tonight in Appleton. I picture dancing hand man as doing the Tequila dance, although I could also imagine a few other steps that I don't quite know what to call (I'm not a choreographer per se)

One of the rare gigs plays in our hometown each year. If you're in town, join us tonight at !

Before the world had the Robert Palmer of "Addicted To Love" and "Simply Irresistible"; of awkward short man with casually de-robed suit jacket- fondling a microphone stand in front of stoic priestesses of electrified swagger - we had Vinegar Joe and this fabulous clay-figure album cover art from 1972.

I absolutely love Robert Palmer's solo career, from the 70s onward, and his evolution from NOLA styled soul to AOR to his strange invention of crunchy guitars over a pop tune that doesn't really necessarily sound degenerate enough to be rock n roll.

But with Vinegar Joe, he was still finding his way. And that quest had him mining the blues-rock sound of the early 70s not unlike The Rolling Stones. Slightly twangy; kinda funky. There's some convincing slide guitar and dobro work. They try their hand at a Gene Clarkian slow cooker. It's an album that doesn't level one on first listen, but may become a favorite if it gets stuck in the car stereo.

There was a lot of other talent in this group that would go on to some success (Keef Hartley and Ellie Brooks among them) but whenever Robert appears, you can tell that there's a bomb just waiting to go off. The wick burnt slow and steady- reaching full detonation at about 10 to 12 years beyond Vinegar Joe's existence. Shooting Robert Palmer past the boundaries of success and into the sphere of icon.

Take a listen to this s**t, and if you're not a Palmer fan yet, dip around on YouTube and go on a tour of his videos. They're all great and scratch different itches!!

We're in the shop this afternoon cleaning and packing yesterday's orders. Get in touch to browse in person or sell us your collection- [email protected]

I think I might have to rechristen this place Aerosmith: The Making Of Pump Theatre

Still inspired by Alex Jordan, all these years on. I wonder: if he were still living today, what would The House On The Rock look like?

There are aspects of it that seem starved by the passing years. Neglected simply because no one else's mind could possibly nurture the dream that lived in his head like he could. I would so love to see what he would do with it now. What he would change or add to it in the modern age.

Also, the nostalgia that he was exploiting while building the place is so old at this point, I fear that people will begin to lose their connection with his dream. I hope it survives. I know people mostly just think it's weird, and it is. But it's also utterly human: imperfect; clunky; dirty; dusty; broken; and despite its flaws, alluring.

It still influences everything I do.

About nine years ago a lil label from Minneapolis commissioned me to make a seasonal album. It was kind of a dream come true honestly. A couple of the songs were old super rough demos and the rest of them I wrote and recorded in about a week (that's my favorite way to make an album). It's got its highs and lows, things I would change or leave off if I could do it all over again and stuff that I listen to and think.. despite the flaws, it represents winter in Northeast Wisconsin the way I want it to.

I forget to mention it as the years pass. It's been out of print for a long time now. I'm always daydreaming of a creative way to reprise this material though- maybe not a reissue per se, but a reimagining in some form or another. A few years ago a country star from my youth reached out to tell me they were a fan of the album, that it was a source of warmth for them. We traded our respective Xmas records through the mail that year. It made me realize that maybe people outside of WI could connect with its theme more than I intended.

When you know s**t is getting real

Home from tour for 7 days:

1) my poor humpty. anyone wanna help me get this thing on the road again this coming year? I don't think it'll be super hard, life's just been constant hustle since I opened the shop. Needs new starter, interior work, a lil body work. And I gotta siphon the old gas out cuz I filled it up just before it stopped running.
2) Black Bear Family Restaurant restroom report: + (loud music, cabaret symmetry) - (grey n white, giant cracks in the stall seams) ---- 3/5
3) pretty good until you palette cleanse with a pizza that's actually good
4) Chef Bill's --> Marks East Side IYKYK
5) John's spooky house

Raspberry Moon, Japan Edition

I recruited the legend
to play pedal steel guitar on the alt mix flexi

This is one high fashion item baby

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We are the unruly weeds in this era of enforced manicure. In this fu***ng world that's so afraid of its own; so numb to the tragedy of malice; so desperate to attach a boogeyman to its symptoms of rot, and eager to cage the imaginary monster under the bed. Our love for one another doesn't begin or end with the status quo. It exists in spite of every human being who has made power, money and obedience their angry God.

on tour now:

10/3 Milwaukee at Sabbatic
10/4 Chicago at Not Not
10/5 Springfield at Dumb Records
10/6 Indianapolis at Dear Mom
10/7 Harrisonburg at Sage Bird
10/8 Washington DC at Quarry House
10/9 Baltimore at Ottobar
10/10 New York City at Le Poisson Rouge
10/11 New Haven at Yale University
10/12 Philadelphia at Johnny Brenda's
10/13 Columbus at Spacebar
10/14 Bloomington at Blockhouse
10/15 Highland at Grindhouse

Dad's fridge

Makin a record this week