Really excited for the month of April to arrive. I'll be playing a few private parties and a few regular places to boot. I will also be debuting a new rhythm section and am really excited about that. Check out this flyer for all the details.

Check out the link below for RAD...Recording Artist Development. This is a wonderful non for profit that works with emerging music talent to produce original studio recordings. I did a song with Phillip in 2005 and really benefited from the experience.
Luanne Surace of RAD has been very supportive of me and my music over the years and I was proud to be included in their "best of" compilation CD that came out last year.

We are really looking forward to tonight's gig at Thunderbird Coffee. This has been such a great venue for us and we are looking at a very warm night. We start a little after 9pm and it will be an unplugged set featuring Matt Wampler on guitar and Rob Bookheim on a scaled down drum kit. Should be fun so come on out and enjoy the warm January weather we are having in ATX.

Thanks to Westy for this review:

Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Honest Day's Work
Long Way
Pete Minda

Solidly written and performed "adult contemporary" music is difficult to create, and it's equally difficult to pinpoint what separates good work in this field from the unimaginative and impersonal material that gluts it. It's hard work doing uncool well, which is why James Taylor is still packing theaters even though critics and hip musicians refuse to recognize his influence. Also Chicago and Steely Dan.

Austin's Pete Minda doesn't knock every track on Long Way out of the park, but he makes a lot of solid contact. His songwriting is band-conscious, using the rhythm section and added touches like the accordion of "Memory to Me" to distinguish the tunes from each other. There's a foundation of acoustic strumming in the mix, but it doesn't dominate and importantly it doesn't push every song into the same kind of feel. Lead guitar parts diversify the tracks and play off of the vocals nicely.

Lyrically Long Way has some fine moments and some missed opportunities. The chorus hook to "Thing About Love" ("the incidents of late tell me I don't know a thing about love") is clumsy in just the right way -- the charm of the song is the way the singer doesn't use another's words to make his point. "There's Never Been Any Peace" sometimes sacrifices the clarity of the melody in its onrush of words, but Minda has some solid points to make. Sometimes he tends to lose focus, as a few songs have second verses that don't entirely flow logically, as if he cribbed some ideas from an entirely different lyric. "She's Not the Little Girl" has a resonant theme and a lovely duet part, but the words are too unspecific to really cut to the heart the way they should.

The strongly arranged main body of the record is well-complemented by the final track, a solo acoustic take of the fine "Kansas City Coming Home" that displays that Minda is highly skilled at maintaining the drama of his full-band performances in a solo setting. The way he adapts his vocal style, very understated through most of the record, to really sell "Kansas City" is representative of his subtle but refined skills. Long Way isn't currently stylish, but heartfelt and honest never go entirely out of style either.

We are really looking forward to playing these upcoming shows in October. After a summer doing the outdoor stage thing it will be good to play inside. Look for a fourth piece coming soon.

This place is a great venue and both shows we've had here have been fab. We are on from 6:30-9:30. We have been busy adding more material both original and covers so do come and check it out.

This place is a great venue and both shows we've had here have been fab. Thanks to Elly D. on tamborine.

Last minute show at Junior's Icehouse announced.

My jingle is gaining ground on the competition for this jingle contest. Check it out and please vote and comment on it.

Had so much fun at this show. All of the folks who came were so supportive and Junior's is a fine place to entertain even in 100 degree weather!

Rob Bookheim on drums and Lionel Menchaca on bass. Special thanks to Robin Sullivan
and Danielle Boudreau for all their help and hard work.

Thanks to all who came. We kicked off a busy week with two sets at one of Austin's coolest coffeehouses.
That's Rob Bookheim behind me on drums and Lionel Menchaca (bass guitar) is on my left in the other pic.

Thanks to Danielle Boudreau for sitting in on a few tunes and all the kind folks who stopped by. It was just down the block from where I live so you can't beat that!