I love my friends, and the unique ways that they make me smile. I opened my email this morning, and got the following email from my friend Jerry:

Subject: PETER mother f*cking HAMMILL…

…so, PETER HAMMILL is on tour in the USA…in my market…DETROIT (10/09) and in CLEVELAND (10/10)…I had to send out an e-mail to my friends that are MUSIQUE lovers…I think this may be the first big e-mail I have sent out of the late (please don’t include drunken after religious ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE experiences)…as I come home from a long day and drop the needle on Peter’s first solo album FOOL’S MATE…I have to write this…

EVERYBODY ON THIS LIST HAS TO GO SEE HIM…JESUS FN CHRIST !!!
One of my idols is in America for the first FN time in like 20 + years…
I think the last time he played solo in the States was in ’88
and my dad wouldn’t let me go downtown (Chicago) because I had a bad reportcard !!!
(talk about a lifetime ago…I have a mortgage and a four year old now !!!)
He of course, has no recollection of this and has no idea who the F Peter is.

Anywho, since you are receiving this e-mail…make the effort, if he is in your area,
to go see this LEGEND…his voice has stood every hair on my arms up…his music has made me cry !!!

“GET READY FOR PETER HAMMILL, GOD DAMN IT GET READY”

If you’re scratching your head about the above, here are the quick and dirty details:

Van Der Graaf Generator founding member Peter Hammill is on the road for 12 shows starting at the end of September, and continuing through mid-October.

9 shows in the U.S. and 3 Canadian dates to wrap it up.

I think Jerry’s happiness matches the happiness that I felt when I found out that Steve Lukather would be touring, with a Cleveland date on the schedule.

Heck, Jackson Browne, Weezer, Metallica, and Cheech and Chong can all skip Cleveland on their touring schedules, but at least we’re getting the obscurities that shouldn’t even have Cleveland on their routing, right?

RIGHT?

(The above is loaded with EXTREME sarcasm – don’t even ask me how pissed off I am at Jackson Browne and Cheech & Chong’s lack of Cleveland love!)

Anyway, check out the tour dates, and go check out a show!

Keep your eyes peeled in Cleveland and Detroit for the short guy with glasses that looks like he’s having a religious experience – that will be Jerry.

P.S. – regarding the Cleveland and Detroit dates:

The Cleveland show on 10/9 is at The Winchester, which is a GREAT venue. They also are responsible for booking the Lukather Cleveland show.

And they brought Lisa Loeb to town.

And Howard Jones too.

We love them.

Regarding Detroit:

The 10/9 show is at The Magic Bag – another great venue with great booking taste. They’ve got my Canadian gods of music Blue Rodeo booked in September for a return appearance.

Oh yes, I will be there.