Lollapalooza 2007–Interview and Set Review–Peter Himmelman August 9, 2007

It was the first set I listened to at Lollapalooza, and was to be my first interview. Ever. So, understandably, I suppose, I was a little nervous. I don’t know why I should have been. The man who stood on stage was so personable, so friendly and kind and so thoroughly a real-live troubadour, I should have instantly felt at ease about approaching him after the show. And after just a song or two, I did.

Maybe that’s because he was playing in the Kidzapalooza area, and of course he might want to present himself as approachable to a gathering of children and their parents.

Peter Himmelman surveyed the scant crowd made mostly of under-fives and their parents on Friday afternoon and said, “We didn’t want a lot of people here, we just wanted the best.” Cheesy? Maybe, a bit. Did I mind? Not a bit.

He introduced his song “Feet” from his new (May, 2007) children’s album “My Green Kite,” by telling us, “This is a song for anybody who has feet. Who has feet? Well good! Some people don’t.” What a rockin’ little song it is! This is rock and roll for kids and their parents. It isn’t sappy and syrupy, but has a beat, and horns, and a child-based reality to it. About another song, “A World Where You Only Eat Candy,” Himmelman said, “I think it would be a marvelous world.”

“For dinnertime you can eat marshmallows and chocolate piled high,” he sang, and extolled the virtues of broccoli and spinach as treats. Because, wouldn’t they be? If our every meal was loaded with sugar?

The song “I Don’t Like to Share,” contains the line “I know it ain’t fair, but I don’t care, cuz I don’t like to share.” These aren’t songs preaching the value of sharing. They are songs identifying with the emotions of their audience, just like every damned rock ‘n roll song we fall in love with. This is rock ‘n roll with honesty, with it’s audience fully in mind.

After the set, I made my way backstage and stood quietly by while Peter greeted his fans, hopping, excited kids and their smiling parents, who must have been so thrilled to have found music that they could stand listening to in the car, keeping both themselves and their children happy. I introduced myself, and Peter asked me to wait, all the while keeping his eye on me to make sure I knew he hadn’t forgotten me, while taking time to talk with the kids who had enjoyed his show. I just stood there like a fool, smiling, so happy to have been introduced to this part of his persona. I’ve been listening to his “adult” music for years, but this kids’ music of his was new to me–I knew it existed, but hadn’t paid attention (a huge disservice to myself AND to my kids).

And then a golf cart pulled up, we piled on and sped off, our interview taking place on the way.

We chatted about his new “adult” album that came out in July (review coming soon!), and I asked him, “I’m really interested to see the documentary included with the album. There was a quote on your website that said it was about the wisdom of schlepping an adolescent dream into midlife. I’m doing that myself. So tell me…is it worth it?”

Peter laughed, and nodded, and said, “It was a good idea…yes. All in all it’s been nice.. fruitful. So much experience…it’s been great.” Because you know what? Life is too short to give up on what you dreamed when you were young. And it’s so long…you have plenty of time to make it all come true.

“What’s the difference,” I asked, “as a performer, in appearing for an audience of children versus an audience of adults?”

“When I play for the kids, I also play for the adults. There’s some things I’ll say to adults that I would never say to kids. It’s much harder to play for kids–they give very little back. It’s a different energy–it takes a lot more energy to play for kids–to keep them engaged and listening. It’s good training for playing for adults. Kids demand more.”

“The songs themselves…the lyrics are different, more specific to kids, but the music itself…it’s still rock n’ roll. Is there any crossover, in your head when you’re writing and/or performing?”

“Certain chords,” Peter said, “I don’t play a lot of minor chords…I keep things a little happier.”

And with that we descended into talk about where he was going from there, to his hotel and then up to Highland Park to visit with friends, and I realized, quite distinctly, that from the moment I’d met him, my nervousness had vanished. This man, who I’d come to revere as a musician from listening to him on XRT and picking up his CDs, was a man, who connects with children as well as he connects with adults, and, at least in my few moments with him, seems to take every one of those connections as they come and to give them what he has to give right at that moment.

And yes, it’s possible to learn more from one brief meeting than one might learn from a lifetime with a person.

Thank you for sharing yourself with me and with all those who love music, Peter.