I made a commercial
Hi folks,
I have sunk to a new low. Bear witness
take care, Peter
BIG Toronto show tickets onsale TODAY!
Hi folks,
Just a quick one to let you know that tickets for my big Toronto show at the BEAUTIFUL St Stephen in the Fields Church with the INCREDIBLE Emma-Lee supporting are now on-sale. (note: this is an ALL AGES event) This is the show I'm probably most excited about to date; it's such a great venue and having Emma-Lee on the bill is the cherry on top. She's a world-class talent and I highly recommend you check her out (her song 'That Sinking Feeling" is single of the week at itunes = FREE! So go download it! Yes, the show is going to be great, and as an added bonus, all advance ticket buyers will receive a FREE digital EP of solo-acoustic songs from 'More Nights' on the night of the show , and maybe even a few surprises....
So... get your tickets now, I strongly suggest getting them in advance as you'll save $5, you'll get the digital EP, and all signs are pointing to the show selling out so best of all, you'll get in!
Just CLICK HERE and you'll be directed to the very secure ticketweb site.
Thanks and take care, see you on the 17th!
Album in-stores Oct 7th, BIG Toronto show October 17th!
Hi folks, I am sorry I am so slow with my updates these days. Truly, I have been busier than I could have ever imagined and I don't know where to begin when I wake up in the morning! Let's start with some information.:
My album 'More Nights', as you know, was recently picked up by Curve/Universal Music. Well...I am very pleased to announce that it will hit (or politely knock) stores on Tuesday October 7th. It will have a fresh new track order and will have more aggressive anti-copyright language than I had on my self-release (maybe I'll get in trouble for saying that...). Many of you reading this probably already have it, so to you I say "thank you". Because of you and your generous support, the 'totally independent' version sold over 3000 copies and allowed me to cross-back and forth across Canada many times, including a tour over to the UK and Ireland. That's pretty amazing and fortunate so thank you. And hey, now you have a collector's item! ( I don't know of any 'Peter Katz' collectors, but I'm crossing my toes --- as long as they're not collecting my stuff in a creepy kind of way...) The re-release will still be on an Indie label, so please, no hate-mail. And to all you newbies who might be thinking of picking up the record on October 7th, I also say 'thank you'. That would be very wonderful, I'll see you at the stores (yes, I'll be walking into a record store(s) on October 7th and looking for my record, maybe even buying one, just to fulfill the childhood dream).
In order to celebrate the re-release, I'll be doing an extra-special show at the GORGEOUS St Stephen in the Fields Church in Toronto on Friday October 17th with very special guest: Emma-Lee!. I could not be more excited about this show, I'll have way more info in a few days so please stay tuned for that.
Alright, I'm probably too wired to be writing this right now so I'll get back to my tour booking duties (oh yes, November = national tour!) and we'll check in with you soon. Take care, PEter
n.b. Montreal show, 2 days!
Just checking in!
Hey Folks! Long time no speak, I have been lost in the land of moving and renovations... almost there... (I'm not a big fan of moving... only when it's done!) I will be emerging from the piles of dust and drywall for a few shows this week so hopefully you can come check them out if they're in your neighborhood. National tour plans are underway, big show announcements soon including the Toronto CD re-release! I'll be back shortly for a better update, in the meantime, hope you're all doing well, take care and thanks for stopping by! PEter
FINAL UK + IRELAND TOUR BLOG #3 IS UP !
Hey Folks! Home at last... Final Video Blog is up now! Short, sweet and silly (senility on account of exhaustion got the better of me I'm afraid). Just click on the link below or in the blog section and you'll be taken right to it. Thanks for following the journey, take care and hopefully see you soon! PEter
Video Blog #3 |
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UK + IRELAND TOUR BLOG #2 IS UP !
Hey Folks! More adventures from my tour in the UK and Ireland, including me driving on the other side of the road! Watch this death-defying stunt and many more by clicking on the image below. Thanks and take care, PEter
Video Blog #2 |
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UK + IRELAND TOUR BLOG #1 IS UP !
Hey Folks! Having a wonderful time in Europe and have once again been keeping a video blog of my adventures. Please click on the image below to check out 'Episode 1' and be sure to check back soon for the next installment! Thanks, take care and see you soon! PEter
Video Blog #1 |
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Oliver Schroer and a Tour of Europe
Hey folks,
Thought I’d start this update off with a little story. A few years ago I caught an interview with a violinist by the name of Oliver Schroer. He was talking about this 2-month trip he had made walking along 1000 kilometers of the Camino trail in Spain and France with a couple of friends. When he would find a church that had the acoustics he was looking for, he would set up his gear and do a recording of a song. The end result was an incredible CD called 'Camino' which features recordings from 20 different churches, including the found sounds of people walking by, occasional chatter, chirping birds, whatever was happening in the moment. The interviewer played several songs from the CD as part of the feature and I was completely spellbound. Somewhere, crumpled amidst the chaos of papers in my car is a napkin with 'Oliver Schroer, Camino' scribbled across it.
About a month ago, I heard that Oliver was going to be playing a concert at the Trinity St Paul's Church in Toronto and that this was going to be his final concert as he was dying of terminal leukemia (he called it ‘Oliver’s Last Show on His Tour of This Planet’). The show sold-out and I unfortunately didn't have a ticket; I was very sorry to miss it. I turned on the radio yesterday and they were airing that same interview I heard a few years ago. At the end, they announced that he had passed away.
I have been reading Oliver’s blogs on his website (which he kept up until the end) and he talks about how when he knew that he was going to die, it only amplified what he was already doing. He didn't really change anything because he was already doing what he loved to do. He just squeezed as much in as possible given his known time-limit. There’s the age-old question ‘what would you do if you were going to die tomorrow’ and it’s a pretty miraculous thing when you can I say ‘I would be doing exactly what I’m doing right now’. I was pretty inspired by that and a little song came out last night. I did a quick first-draft recording of it in my bedroom and thought I’d pass it along. (click here to listen)
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On another note, I am leaving for my cross-Atlantic adventure on Tuesday, with stops in Russia, England, Scotland and Ireland! This is my very first time playing any of these countries so I’m extremely excited and somewhat nervous as well, but I have blind faith which is always a good thing for me. The dates are listed on the shows page with more still to be added. I know that 99% of you are from Canada but if you have a friend, relative, facebook-associate, etc. etc. that you could pass the word along to I would greatly appreciate it! And who knows, maybe you’ll be in the neighbourhood...
Beyond the Ontario/Quebec shows which are listed in the shows section, full tour plans are in the works for Canada and the US in the fall to coincide with the re-release of ‘More Nights’ on Curve/Universal Music. I’ll be starting to book those dates very soon so if you have any venue recommendations I might not know of/ you want to host a house concert/ you want to practice your cooking skills on me (etc.) then please let me know.
Alright, that’s plenty of information; thanks very much for reading and hopefully see you soon!
Lots of love, PEter
(please click here to listen to the song)
n.b. I highly recommend 'Camino' to anyone, it is a magical CD and is available on itunes. Here's a track from it called 'Ultreia'. (n.b. This is just from the line-in of my computer, the actual recording sounds even better)
International Adventures!
(and a great video about a lion)
Hey folks,
Yet another quickie to tell you that I've posted the first batch of UK + Ireland Tour dates in the shows section along with some new Canadian shows. Many more to come (I hope)
so please stay tuned. Sorry for the quickie, things are really crazy busy trying to get this all organized so I don't have time to write usual novella-sized updates! I'll have more news for you soon! Lots of love and thanks in the meantime, PEter
n.b. Here's a video about a lion that my friend Don Brownrigg sent to me.
Quick Update
Hey folks,
Just a quick little update to let you know that the UK tour is coming together nicely and I should be announcing the dates very very soon. Also, more news soon about the re-release of 'More Night's in the fall (including Canadian and US tours!) And finally, I hit the studio this week to start recording demos of the new songs for the next record! Can't wait for you to hear them! Hope all is well with you, take care, PEter
Forgiveness Aftermath
Hello friends,
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Every now and then, I overstep my bounds and share some thoughts beyond the latest career move. This is one of those times so I hope you don't mind.
I just got back from my trip to Pennsylvania where I got to perform 'Forgiveness' for Michael Berg and many of Nick Berg's closest friends, family, teachers, classmates, neighbours and co-workers. I also got to go on a long drive with Michael where he took me around to all of Nick's special places and we chatted for several hours. This experience has had a profound effect on me and I can't resist the need to share it with you along with some of the ideas that we discussed.
Over the course of our conversation we inevitably talked a great deal about the concept of 'forgiveness' and what it means exactly. I don't want to put words in Michael's mouth so please keep in mind that my thoughts are liberally mixed in here but what I have come to understand is that forgiving someone doesn't mean you in any way condone the deed that they have done; you are not letting them off the hook. Forgiving is really relieving yourself of the incredible burden of hate, anger and vengeance. It is so powerful that it can even partially right the wrong that has occurred (Michael told me a story about a man whose son was killed in a robbery. The man visited the murderer in prison for 20 years, learning to forgive him and they became extremely close friends. Now they go around speaking together at schools and are truly like family. Can you imagine? The loss of his son, through the power of forgiveness, was channelled into an incredibly positive thing and the life of the murderer has been turned around. Had the father's reaction been 'rot in hell' (which no one can be blamed for having), the outcome would likely have been very different).
Another important point that keeps coming back to me is the concept that under different circumstances, we all have the ability to do terrible things and that we all need to be forgiven for our shortcomings. We don't know what it's like to grow up with bombs constantly overhead and our country under siege. We don't know what it's like to be born into a culture of violence. We dont actually know what it's like to be anybody other than ourselves. Understanding, compassion and empathy are all important pieces of the forgiveness puzzle. One of the exercises Michael told me about was called 'The Empty Chair' where you privately act out a conversation with the person you are trying to forgive, actually speaking to them and replying as them. What is their perspective? What has made them the way they are, or do what they did? What do you need to say to them? What do you need to know about them? How are you alike? How are you different?
Eye for an eye just hasn't worked, so what else can we try??
At the end of the day, I think forgiveness serves the forgiver first and then hopefully the forgiven in turn. I do think that it's a lengthy, imperfect and extremely challenging process and one should never be frustrated with oneself for not finding it right away.
Those are my thoughts and some of the things I feel I learned from Michael. I really believe in the power of forgiveness, but I have never been challenged to forgive in any way near what Michael unimaginably went through (and I hope I never am) so in many ways, it's too easy for me to say all these things.
I'm going to take this experience and carry it with me for all time. Hopefully I will be able to pass it along. It's a palpable thing to me, not just a concept in the air. It is a real possibility.
Thanks for reading, take care, PEter
2 Incredible Fundraisers = 2 Incredible Shows!
Just a quick one to let you know about 2 shows that I'm very proud to be a part of in support of 2 wonderful charities. The first show is on May 28th at the Toronto Center for the Arts in support of Alli's Journey. I will be performing SOLO along with such great artists as Matthew Barber and Jackie Richardson. The second show is on May 31st at the Opera House. We'll be performing FULL BAND along with The Dunes, The Framework and Pat Robitaille in support of Million Dollar Youth. Both flyers are posted below so please click on them for full details. Thanks and take care, PEter
VIDEO TOUR BLOG #4 IS UP ! (The Final Episode!)
The 4th and final tour blog is up along with more bonus footage! (It's a live version of my new song 'Dangerous' performed live on air!) Hope you enjoy them, take care, PEter
Video Blog #4 |
Bonus 'Dangerous' |
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VIDEO TOUR BLOG #3 IS UP ! (and bonus footage -- New Song!)
The 3rd tour blog is up and the first 'bonus footage' too! (It's a new song, a lullabye for my nephew Jackson). Hope you enjoy them, more soon! Take care, PEter
Video Blog #3 |
Jackson's Song |
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Toronto tickets onsale now !
I made another fancy banner! Just click on it to get your advance tickets for the big 'End of Tour Celebration Show!' on May 2nd at the Rivoli.
It's going to be an amazing night and we'll be premiering a bunch of new songs. Hope to see you there! Take care, PEter
VIDEO TOUR BLOG #2 IS UP !
The headline says it all; check out Episode 2! Sorry to be brief but I'm off to Prince George! Stay tuned for the next episode! Take care and see you soon, PEter
Video Blog #2 |
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VIDEO TOUR BLOG IS UP !
Hello friends! Just a quick one to report that the tour is going extremely well and that the first installment of my tour blog is now up in the 'blog' section. I decided to keep a video blog this time around as I'm out here all by my lonesome and it's the only way I can keep up! I'm having a lot of fun making it, hope you enjoy watching! The next installment is almost done so please check back very soon. Take care and see you soon, PEter
Video Blog #1 |
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Peter Strikes a Deal and More Good News!
Hello friends, old and new! Oh where oh where to begin?! There is so much to report that
I think the only answer is a good old fashioned point form:
- I am very pleased to announce that "More Nights" has been picked up by Curve Music and will be released worldwide in various stages over the next little while. In conjunction with that deal, I also welcome label president Brian Hetherman as my new manager. Brian has a long history in the music industry from being head of A&R at Universal music for many years to running the Radio Starmaker Fund. He has worked with so many incredible artists; I’m thrilled to be working with him and his great team.
- Last week, we showcased at Canadian Music Week (thanks for coming out!!) and at the end of the night we were BLESSED
to have Garth Hudson (of THE BAND!) come up and rock out with us! Garth is a true hero to all of us and this was an impossible dream come true. I have posted a couple of videos and photos from the night both on youtube (linked below) and on facebook. If you were there that night, please join the 'Garth Hudson live at the El Mocambo' group and add your pics, videos and anecdotes. What a night!!!
- I'm leaving on tour across Canada very shortly; dates are listed in the shows section with even more to come. Unfortunately due to budgetary concerns I had to make it a solo tour. Rest-assured, I will get the band out there someday soon, just need to have it make sense financially so that I don't perish. Further rest-assuredness, I will still 'bring it' with all my heart for the solo shows so hopefully you can make it out if I'm coming to a town near you!
- I'm in a movie! I got the lead role in a short film that will be airing on CBC in November (long time) but in the meantime, there's a very cool trailer for it up at www.acrossthelinefilm.com Check it out!
- The Blue Rodeo video that I make my little cameo in was nominated for a Juno! That really means nothing as far as my career is concerned but hey, it feels like I'm at least getting closer.... maybe...
- I was thrilled to find out that my song 'Posters' was arranged for a classical ensemble of Marimba, Vibraphone, Flute and 2 voices by composer Laura Savage and was presented at The 4 Seasons Center for the Performing Arts as part of their programming. It was such an honour to be in that gorgeous building watching the performance; I will post a clip as soon as I have one
- My old track 'Lazy Sunday Morning Room' is featured in the HILARIOUS movie "The Way of the Tosser", written, directed and starring my good friends April Mullen and Tim Doiron. The film is on a promo tour across Canada and all the screening dates are up on their facebook group Go see this movie (click here for trailer), you will love it!
... That was a whole lot of information. Thanks for making it down to the bottom, SO much to be excited about!
Hope all is really well with all of you, take care, lots of love, Peter
PK and the Curious rock out with GARTH HUDSON!!
Last night (or rather in the wee hours of this morning), the band and I along with The Dunes had the unbelievable honor of playing The Band tunes live onstage with the one and only Garth Hudson! This was a dream come true for all of us and had to share a a couple of video clips with you (just click on tv images below). To everyone who stuck around to the wee hours with us, thanks for your patience! lots of love PEter
I made a banner! Somebody please be proud of me...
I'm plugging a show, but I think my beautiful banner really speaks for itself.
More news soon, love PEter
An Update and an East Coast Tour !
Hello Folks!
I'm chiming in a little late after the New Year but I needed to take some time away from the interweb machine and get my headback on...
I'm sitting in a coffee shop because there's no power in my house and I'm just thinking about what an incredible year this was: I finished and released "More Nights", performed on Vimy Ridge in France, went completely across Canada playing nearly 100 shows, performed on my beloved CBC, got "Forgiveness" to Michael Berg and was asked to play it in all kinds of incredible settings, shared the stage with so many remarkable musicians, met so many wonderful people... I have been extremely fortunate and I just want to thank you all so much for your incredible support and kindness.
2008 is shaping up to be a great year with at least 2 national tours on the horizon, including my first national tour with my band 'The Curious' in March/April as well as starting work on my next record (which is already almost completely written!). I also have my sights set on the US and the UK, hoping to tour in both areas by the end of the year.
In the end, I don't really know what will happen this year, but I know that I am full of energy, excitement and that it's going to be a good one. I wish the same to all of you!
So...please keep your eyes on the 'shows' section of the site as many many more will be posted very soon and you can guarantee that if you live in Canada I'm coming near you and if you live outside of Canada, I'm coming soon!
For you East-Coasters, I'm coming tomorrow! All the info is posted in the 'shows' section. Can't wait to see you!!
Take care, lots of love, Peter
Quick update!
Hey folks,
I have a proper New-Year update coming soon but I just wanted to quickly wish you all a happy New Year! The band is playing a FREE show at Fanshawe College in London on Friday so hopefully you can make it out if you're in the neighborhood. Lots of updates and tour dates are right around the corner, please check back often over the next few weeks. Hope all is really well with you, sorry for the brevity, busy busy busy!! Take care, PEter
'LAST CHANCE FOR HOLIDAY SALE & LONDON SHOW'
Hey folks,
Just a quick reminder that Sunday is the last day for the holiday sale. Thanks to everyone who made purchases so far, hopefully you have received them (or will very shortly). Once again, the deal is: 5 for $75, 10 for $140, 20 for $250 and all shipping and handling is included (I'll express post it at no extra charge). I know my last post was a really cheesy infomercial, sorry about that... If you're interested in the deal, please CLICK HERE (or on the huge button at the top) to make your purchase 100% securely
Also a little reminder that I have the huge honour of opening up for Melissa McClelland at the London Music Club this Saturday night (Dec 15th, 8 pm (not 9pm as listed before), 470 Colborne St, $10). Tickets are available at www.londonmusicclub.com This is my last show for 2007 so hopefully you can make it out(Melissa is UNBELIEVABLE, even if you can't make my set, come for hers!)
Lots of big plans and exciting announcements for 2008 are coming together. Can't quite let the cat out of the bag yet but I'll be posting a big update in couple of weeks so stay tuned for that.
That's all for now; last chance for the holiday sale so please CLICK HERE if you're interested
Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and thanks again for an incredible year!
Take care, Peter
'HOLIDAY SALE!'
I know...I know...I’m just like the rest of ‘em; starting with the holiday ads... but at least you can feel good that it’s just me, your mom and pop musician, trying to make an honest living...so here goes...
Enter Ron Popeil (The pasta maker guy) or maybe Dr Ho:
Want to get all your shopping done in one fell swoop? Want that gift that says “I care about you; you’re a special person; you’re a fantastic employee; I love you more than your brother/mother/sister/other boyfriend” Want a gift that does all this, is at a bargain price AND delivered to your door? (and personalized if you like!)
Well how about a copy of ‘More Nights’ for everyone you know! Friends, family, co-workers, all your great staff that puts up with your daily berating, illegitimate children, estranged family members, pets, live-in pastry chefs...
From now until Dec 16th, ‘More Nights’ will be available for bulk sale at the following prices:
5 copies for $75
10 copies for $140
20 copies for $250
Prices include all shipping and handling (old price was $20 with shipping and handling) + I’ll throw in some stickers and autograph/personalize if you’d like!
JUST CLICK HERE to securely place your orders
Want more copies? Talk to me; we’ll make it work!
Alright, I feel slimy, let’s leave it at that, point made.
Beyond this little sale announcement, also wanted to mention that my good friends The Good Lovelies are doing a Christmas show at The Supermarket in Toronto on Thursday Dec 6th and I’m part of the Merry-men choir (along with Rob Szabo and Scott Cooper!). We’ll be wearing ties, singing in harmony and doing cool parts like “Buh Bum, Buh Bum, Buh Bum...” maybe even shoo-wap if we get carried away. It’s going to be a really fun night; hopefully you can make it out.
The Curious and I will also be playing a short, not-so surprise set as part of the Jolly Jam Fundraiser for SickKids at Grace O'Malleys in Toronto on Dec 5th. We’re on last at midnight.
And finally, I just confirmed 2 shows with the INCREDIBLE Melissa
McClelland on Mon Dec 10th in Hamilton at the Casbah and Saturday
Dec 15th at the London Music Club. Melissa is a huge talent and
I’m so thrilled to be playing with her. Hope you can make it out!
Some big announcements coming soon, in the meantime, get your orders in now for ‘More Nights’ so I can get them in the mail to you right away!
JUST CLICK HERE to securely place your orders
Thanks, take care and happy holidays! Peter
'Forgiveness' Comes Full-Circle
As many of you know, my song ‘Forgiveness’ was inspired by an interview I heard on CBC’s ‘As it Happens’ with a man (Michael Berg) who chose forgiveness instead of hatred in the face of the most trying of circumstances: the kidnapping and murder of his son Nicholas in Iraq. The song was written to get his message out to as many people as possible, especially knowing that he had been persecuted for his courageous position, even shot at.
On Tuesday I got a call from ‘As It Happens’ and they interviewed me about the song and then played that interview paired up with Michael’s on the evening program. Sitting there in my car, listening to the 2 stories come together was without a doubt the most rewarding moment of my life/career. I know that so many of you have helped spread the message and I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you. Thank you also to everyone who heard the interview and sent me such wonderful emails. It is so encouraging to know that his message is getting out there. Despite all the horrible things we hear about on a daily basis, there is so much more goodness and humanity happening.
I wanted to share the piece with you in case you missed it and were interested. I have posted it in the 'Forgiveness' section of my site. You can also just click HERE
While I’m here, I should just mention that the FULL tour blog is up. What an incredible time we had. Read (and see) all about it HERE
Things will quiet down on the touring front for a few months with the odd show here and there. Full band national tour will be coming your way in March/April so please stay tuned for that.
Thanks to everyone for your support, encouragement and all-round goodness!
See you soon, lots of love, PEter
n.b. If you really want to spend the next few hours looking at all things Peter Katz on the internet, there are a TON of youtube videos that were posted, including footage from my appearance on GO.
FREE CBC Tickets and Tour Blog!
Hello old friends and new faces (and a special welcome to the 100+ new people from the tour!)
This is just a quick email to update you on a few of things:
- 1. For all of you in the Toronto area: If you would like to attend the live taping of GO on CBC (for which I am the musical guest!) on Saturday Nov 10th there are FREE tickets available. For those of you who don't know much about GO, it's a wildly entertaining comedy/variety show on Saturdays from 10-11:30 am and it's loads of fun. There's even free coffee to boot! It happens in the CBC building on Wellington Street so it's all very exciting and it sure would be nice to have some friendly faces in the audience for my very first NATIONAL broadcast! Just email gotickets@cbc.ca and they'll take care of you.
- 2. For those of you in the rest of Canada (and the world), you can listen live on Saturday morning across the country and on the internet www.cbc.ca/radio (click on the listen live button, top left)
- 3. The Lanky Wimps Tour Blog is up! Our first two weeks have been meticulously documented, complete with over 100 photos and entries from both Rob and I. We're really excited to fill you in on what we've been up (and maybe you'll see yourself in the pictures!), so please CLICK HERE
That's all for now, more updates when I get back from this amazing tour (and please check back for the rest of our tour blog soon! (highlights include me in a giant pink bunny outfit and Rob dressed as a mummy!)
Don't forget, tickets for GO are FREE, email gotickets@cbc.ca
Hope all is well with all of you, thanks so much to all of you who have made this tour so incredible. Still a few dates left!
Take care, lots of love, Peter<
Lanky Wimps Hit The Road (and prove their manly-ness)
Hello Friends!
I am a bit of a frantic maniac as I prepare to leave on the western leg of this tour, but I wanted to quickly say that I'm coming your way in moments!
All of the 'Lanky Wimps' tour dates (we're trying to be humorous) are listed in the shows section. If you are so inclined, we would greatly appreciate your help in getting the word out by sending links along to friends across this great expanse. Our street team guru Emma has made it a little easier for you by creating a Facebook group with all the dates listed as well as an individual page for each night that you can invite your friends to.
(Thank you Emma! Just click HERE)
If you're not a facebooker, then no worries, a simple link to peterkatz.com or the myspace site would be just as helpful. Am I being pushy? I just hate being lonely up there on stage... Rob too...
For those of you who aren't interested in any of this promo rigamarole but are into general points of interest -I have a couple of things to report:
- 1. I am the new Blue Rodeo video for "Cmon" singing and playing! Here's the link to the youtube video, see if you can find me (it's not hard)
Hint: check out about 1:20...
- 2. I will be the musical guest on the national CBC Radio show GO on Saturday November 10th! Show goes live to air at 10:05 am EST and I will be interviewed and play 2 songs. How exciting!
- 3. 'These are the Days' was picked as the campaign song for Sandra Parrot of the NDP (Thanks Victoria for letting me know!) I don't know, I thought that was pretty cool...
- 4. 'Forgiveness' was given an honourable mention in the 'Songs from the Heart' contest run by the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals.
- 5. The East Coast tour was a total blast, thank you to everyone for your support and smiling faces. Thanks also for all the fish!
- 6. I will be keeping my tour blog so look out for that
- 7. I know I'm behind on my video tutorials... I will get back on track!
- 8. I have a couple of extra shows that aren't part of the Lanky Wimps tour so please check for that in the shows section.
And finally, for all you Vancouverites and Victorians, I am very sorry that there is no date in your city. I assure you that we TRIED, HARD, but alas, too many people were on tour at the same time. I vow to be back on tour, with the band in the spring and Van/Vic will be top-priority!
Thank you all for indulging me in my somewhat manic state, I am really running around like a fool and should probably eat something. Can't wait to hit the road and play music for you!
Lots of love, PEter
Forgiveness Article
My Father wrote an article about my song 'Forgiveness' and its significance to him and the Montreal Gazette published it this morning. I'm very touched by the gesture. If you are looking for the song then it can be found in the music section. Just click on Forgiveness and you will find the song, the video, the lyrics along with the interview that inspired it. On another note, I was overwhelmed to get an email from Michael Berg himself yesterday. I am dry for words at this moment as it is hard to process the emotion that came over me as I read his email. All I can say is that I had always hoped it would make its way to him and I am so grateful that it has. Thank you to everyone who has helped it along its way.
Lots of love, PEter
Jeremy Fisher, CAMfest and National Tour!
Hello Folks!
Some BIG news to announce:
I will be opening for Jeremy Fisher for 4 tour dates in Ontario and Quebec!
For everyone in Toronto, the full band and I will be opening for Jeremy Fisher on Wednesday Sept 5th at the Rivoli (our favorite venue!). This is a HUGE opportunity for us (Jeremy is breaking out big time all over and just did 2 nights on the Late Late Show!) If there has ever been a show to come to, this is the one! We're doing a full 45-minute set and then Jeremy will be doing an amazing show with his band. I promise you, you will LOVE his set so hopefully you can come on down! Doors are at 9 and this show is guaranteed to sell-out so please come early. We'll be on at 9:30, tickets are only available at the door. (www.jeremyfishermusic.com)
That same week, I'll be opening solo for Jeremy at the Black Sheep Inn (near Ottawa) on Thursday Sept 6th (show at 8:30) and the London Music Club on Saturday Sept 8th (doors at 8pm, I'm on at 10pm). These are both INCREDIBLE venues and are guaranteed to be great nights of music. I really hope you can make these shows if you're in the neighborhood (or you're into road trips!).
On the college front, I'll be playing Cambrian College in Sudbury with the oh-so talented Melissa McClelland on Tues Sept 4th, and then Algonquin College on Fri Sept 7th with the dream line-up of Jeremy Fisher, Melissa McClelland, Craig Cardiff and Pat Robitaille. I can't quite believe my good fortune; it's going to be a GREAT week!
I also wanted to let you know that I'll be performing this Saturday night (Aug 25th) at 7 pm as part of a new folk fest called CAMfest in Bowmanville (just outside Toronto). I'm one of the 3 headliners along with Liam Titcomb and folk-legend Murray McClauchlan. Should be a wonderful night of music, more info at www.camfest.ca
For addresses and all other info for the above shows, please visit the shows section
Apart from that, many other shows are coming in for September, October and November. I've listed some of the National tour dates in the shows section. Many more to be added very soon, including live performances on the CBC!
Hope you're all doing very well, I'm feeling pretty darn lucky!!
Welcome to the new peterkatz.com!
I am VERY excited to announce the launch of the new www.peterkatz.com along with the brand new music video for 'Forgiveness'. To help celebrate these online festivities, I am also very pleased to announce that 'More Nights' is now available on itunes, puretracks, cdbaby, indiepool and many other online retailers (both for physical copies and digital downloads). Look at me embracing the interweb!
The new peterkatz.com was designed with YOU in mind. It is extremely user-friendly (I hope), loaded with content and all kinds of cool features. One cool feature to mention is the video tutorials area. Over the next 10 weeks, I will be posting a new video tutorial every week where I show you how to play a song from the new record. You can then email your youtube, myspace and facebook links of you playing the songs and I will feature them on the site. There's already one up there! Other fun areas on the site include: a complete lyrics database, fancy-looking photo galleries, all the great new press we've been getting for 'More Nights', free music downloads, photo blogs and more!
I feel like Ron Popeel (the infomercial guy)
I will be diligently updating it and adding features like live-concert downloads, more videos, more galleries, blogs, etc. etc. I'm also very open to your feeback on the site, any improvements I can make, content I can add, just let me know!
Just a few words about the new 'Forgiveness' video. I was very touched to have filmmaker Andrew Moniz and Producer Daniel Mazzucco donate their time and services to me to make a music video for the song. I'm really proud of the final product and am hoping it will serve as another channel to get Michael Berg's incredible message out to as many people as possible. For those of you who would like to find out more about the back-story of that song and hear the interview that inspired it, please click here. If you feel moved by the message, then please feel free to share the video with friends. It's available on myspace, youtube, facebook, metacafe as well as a higher quality download in the 'video' section of the site. We give you free reign to distribute it; we just want to get it out there.
On the touring front, I have a big show in Mississauga this Saturday (18th) at 7:30 pm in front of City Hall. I'll be doing a full-length solo set. Then the following Saturday (the 25th) I'll be one of the mainstage performers at CAMfest is Bowmanville (set time still tba but it will be in the evening). In September I have a few college dates (Cambrian in Sudbury on the 4th and Algonquin in Ottawa on the 7th). Then we'll be doing a full-band show in Brantford at the Ford Plant on the 15th and hopefully some other Southern Ontario dates (booking is tough this time of year!) An East coast tour is also in the works and then a Western tour with my wonderful friend and incredible talent Rob Szabo from Oct 15th – Nov 10th. We'll be hitting everything from Sault-Ste Marie to Victoria, heading up to the likes of Grande Prairie and Fort St John and most other cities across the country. Can't wait to see you all again and get the new disc into your hands! Tour dates will be announced shortly.
Alright, once again I have proven myself to be incredibly long-winded. Thanks for making it down to the bottom. Please check out the Forgiveness video if you get a chance and send the link along to friends. The best viewing of it is the direct download in the video section. Hope you're all having a wonderful summer; can't wait to play for you sometime in the very near future!
Take care, lots of love, PEter
Hello there Curious!
My new nephew Jackson!! ---->
Long-time no speak, things have indeed been busy busy busy! First things first, the first half of the CD release shows have been simply incredible; thank you for coming out and for all your amazing feedback on the new disc. We have many more shows around the corner including Peterborough (Gordon Best) tonight, Wakefield (Black Sheep) tomorrow July 14, Kitchener-Waterloo (Boathouse) July 20th, Toronto (Drake Hotel) July 21st, as well as some fun shows like a solo show with my friends the Good Lovelies at the Gladstone on July 26th and a bunch of festivals in August. After all of that, we'll head out and tour colleges in September, then I'll hit the East Coast (including Newfoundland!), then the rest of Canada and then the US!! I think I'm basically going to be on tour for about 2 years...so get your spare beds fluffed and de-loused!
Just a quick note about the Drake Hotel show on Saturday July 21st, it is FULL BAND and with Jason Bajada (www.myspace.com/jasonbajada) and JF Robitaille (www.mypsace.com/jfrobitaille) , 2 AMAZING singer-songwriters from Montreal and New York. I'll be the 3rd of 3 and the schedule will be tight. First act will be on at 9 and we'll be on no later than 11 (for real!). I don't know the exact price but it will be cheaper than usual (under $10 for sure). Hopefully you can come check it out.
Also wanted to mention that tickets for the Good Lovelies show on the 26th (I'm doing a solo opening set) are onsale now in advance at Soundscapes (572 College St).
And now for the point-form section:
- The 'Forgiveness' video is ALMOST done and will be released very shortly...
- My track 'Posters' has been selected as the featured song at garageband.com for July 17th, 2007!
- The new record 'More Nights' is available for purchase WORLDWIDE through www.cdbaby.com/peterkatz3, indiepool.com, Puretracks as well as HERE It will be up on itunes in a couple of weeks
- Lethbridge loves PK and the Curious! We're #2 for Folk/Roots and #5 for Rock/Pop on the Lethbridge charts! Thank you!
- The new website is ALMOST done. Thank you for your patience and hate-mail telling me to get it up already.
Alright, sorry to put you through the point-form there for a moment, I'm a little long-winded otherwise...
I believe that's it. I'll be announcing the national tour dates in a couple of weeks, can't wait to hit the road!
Take care, lots of love, Peter
