Hi Kids! – Petaluma Pete was playing in the 100+ degree heat last Sunday at the downtown Antique Faire, and up popped my son Jack who drove in from Southern California! Jack is a 33-year-old struggling musician in a band called “Feed the Kitty” out of Los Angeles. He has a degree from the Berklee College of Music in Boston and can play just about ANYTHING you put in his hands. Honest.

A person who was passing by was kind enough to video tape us while playing an old song called Shiek of Araby, one of Jack’s favorites. You can click HERE if you want to see it. (It was so hot outside, Jack was chewing on ice cubes just to keep from overheating!)

The banjo Jack played that day was home-made by an old jazzer in St. Louis, from a motorcycle brake drum! The strings are about 1/2 inch off the fretboard but he makes the best of it. Guitar players would really appreciate his technique so, if you know any adults who play, show them this video and I’m pretty sure they’ll see what I mean.

We used to play together all the time when he was a kid at Elks clubs and Moose halls all over Orange County. The tips were great when he was 12 but, by the time he hit 17 (and 6 feet), the party was over. Who knows? Maybe Jack will move to Petaluma some day and take over as Petaluma Pete II. I’m going to be 59 on the 11th and not getting any younger!

Anyway, it was a good day in downtown Petaluma last weekend… as usual.

- PP