Peter Case – My Life To Live: Peter Case at McCabe’s
I started listening to Peter Case with his first Geffen Records album in 1986 & knew little of his prior career in a more power-pop-oriented medium (The Plimsouls). But he was also working with the likes of T. Bone Burnett, Roger McGuinn, Van Dyke Parks, Ry Cooder & names such as that. As time went by, Case began to branch out into a wonderful singer-songwriter sound. I enjoyed that first album, especially a tune he co-wrote with Victoria Williams & Mark Etzioni (Lone Justice) – “Old Blue Car.”
Recorded by Woody Nuss, this 22-track My Life To Live: Peter Case at McCabe’s (Drops April 24/Sunset Blvd Records/71:41) is a venue in Santa Monica, CA (April 2025) where Peter played for two nights. He performs solo for the majority of the showcase with some accompaniment later in the show & revisits some of his earliest tunes. The album is peppered with interesting “stories” & between song audience patter, which, unlike some entertainers, Case is actually good at. He never loses the momentum of the show, even when he stops to talk to the audience. The live set flows briskly & it’s recorded pristinely.
The songs are varied, tunes about survival, faith, doubt, & perseverance. Nothing sounds or comes across as retro. Case is persuasive & he enlivens his tunes with modern touches & engages the audience warmly. There are no bombastic playing or showboating moments. What keeps the set structured well is the entertainment factor. Case has been a consistently good songwriter & a wonderful singer, but that would be lost to the audience if he weren’t an entertaining personality.
Things pick up significantly with “A Million Miles Away,” where the energy level reaches the same temperature as artists such as Peter Himmelman, Marc Cohn & Alejandro Escovedo. Excellent vocals with pounding, enthusiastic piano. “Water From a Stone,” toward the show’s conclusion, is performed with the same enthusiasm that Russ Tolman & Frank Tovey added to their songs. Peter really opens up both barrels for this rocker.
It sounds like it was a good show – Peter certainly projected well throughout with a good set of songs. Fortunately, when your career has been as long as Peter’s & you have a good-looking hat to wear, a trimmed beard & a deep well of material to choose from. Just keep your guitar tuned & your audience will follow.
Highlights – “Every 24 Hours,” “Entella Hotel,” “Naima,” “Girl In Love With a Shadow,” “A Million Miles Away,” “Water From a Stone,” & “Ain’t Gonna Worry No More.”
Musicians – Case (guitar/piano/harmonica), Sophie Skye (harmony vocals), Henri Cash (bass/harmony), Bill Stock (pedal steel guitar) & Buddy Zapata (electric guitar).
Cover image courtesy of Bert Deivert. CD @ Apple & https://petercase.com/
Enjoy some of our previous coverage here: Interview: Peter Case Piano Broke The Silence For “Doctor Moan”