Petunia at the Trocadero! (Preserving his delightful formatting)

I have interviewed Petunia many times - here, here, here, and here, say (the last is on video!). The last time I saw him, I was walking down 4th Avenue during some special event or other, early enough in the pandemic that there were very few people out and about, despite pleasant weather - but there was a stage set up, and I could hear music and see a cowboy hat and knew blocks away who was going to be on that stage, long before I could make out a single lyric. I stopped and said hi and maybe listened to a bit of a Marty Robbins' cover ("Big Iron") before I continued on whatever my mission was. It's past time to see him again! 

There's no one quite like Petunia in Vancouver, delivering country swing, folk, rockabilly and bluegrass with a tiny hint deadpan wit and dark surrealism; like the Red Herring residency at the Princeton blogged about a few posts back, his shows at the Trocadero, which looks to be a Greek pizza and steakhouse on Nanaimo, are an opportunity to see an unusual lineup of the band, doing songs you might not always hear at bigger gigs - an intimate "behind-the-scenes" peek at the Vipers' inner workings.  

Anyhow, I got this pleasantly centred email from Petunia's phone and am presenting Petunia's communications with me more or less as he sent'em, rather than trying to format this, because why deprive you of the pleasure of his formatting?): 

Hey Al 
Pétunia hère 


I'm trying to promo our new weekly (bi-weekly until we fill it up then we move to weekly) 

Next one is April 20th 
We've had two both with roughly 40 ppl. 

If April 20th is 60-80 ppl or more then I think it'll change to weekly then and there or whenever that can happen 

$10...put money in our jug 

3 sets 

7pm dining mellower set (great home cooked food - reserve tables in advance) 

8pm rockin'er set 
9:15 another rockin set 

...so I asked Petunia some follow up questions via email. - who is in the band at present? What are the plans for the lineup? What will you be playing? Again, preserving Petunia's formatting: 

The band on 20th will be;
Sky trombone and bass
Patrick elec guitar and bass
Paul drums
Me

Once the Wednesdays become weekly (which I hope will be after we put lots of ppl in the Trocadero on the 20th) then I'll start working in the touring outfit for the summer which will be the same musicians as above except Patrick will also start playing lap steel guitar as well as elec guitar - plus add Joe Abbott on sax/clarinet/elec guitar

That means we'll have a band that can be two horns and a rhythm section a la old time jazz OR steel guitar and elec guitar and rythym section a la old time country rockabilly sound.

Stephen and Jimmy will be with us throughout the spring fall as well on occasion and moving onwards at the Trocadero only when they want. Those nights will be a 7 pc band (or more), like old times. There’ll be old Vipers and new throughout.

We'll be playing new material as well as standards. Same as we did at Wise lounge. Workshop touring material for the summer. I've written a whole double album last two years of decent to pretty good songs.

Plus that - the Trocadero has a patio that will open with nice weather so I expect the Wednesdays there to turn into a real old fashioned happening like the old days.

 

...All of which sounds great to me. April 20th is a Wednesday, you say? Well! (Even with my weird new tongue, I think I can probably make it through a plate of souvlaki if I smear enough tzatziki on it!). See you there, maybe?