Remembering Erik Petersen

Steve O - August 17, 2016

I am a leader but you will not follow me.
I ain't no preacher for I'm full of blasphemy.
See you in hell boys!

I don’t exactly remember how I discovered Mischief Brew, but I think it’s a pretty safe guess that it was through one of the Fremd kids that we hung out with all the time in high school. At our high school, there weren’t a whole lot of punk kids; Danny and me and a handful of others, so we hung out with a bunch of people from Fremd. So this was probably 2006, or maybe late 2005. So I’ve been listening to Mischief Brew for at least ten years now, and pretty consistently too. I remember listening to the four songs they had up on Myspace at the time. I think it limited you to four songs. That’s what bands did then because there was no Bandcamp and Facebook wasn’t really big for bands yet. “Nomads Revolt,” “A Liquor Never Brewed,” “Thanks Bastards,” “Devil of a Time,” were the 4 on there, I think. I remember hearing “Gratitude and Thanks,” “Coffee, God, and Cigarettes, ” and “Roll Me Through the Gates of Hell” really early too. Somehow I stumbled upon “For an Old Kentucky Anarchist” pretty early too. I remember listening to that song all the time, till I knew every word by heart. I think someone burned me a copy of Songs from Under the Sink, so I bought Smash the Windows on CD, cause vinyl wasn’t popular again yet.

I'd like to
Send gratitude
And thanks
To those who
Had the courage to defy the mighty ranks
Send it to the students who wave the banners
Who held flowers up to the tanks
And to the ones who are still fighting

I think it’s pretty safe to say that Erik Petersen’s lyrics had a pretty strong influence on my growing political outlook at that point in time. He was poignant in his praise of anarchist ethics, and his political songs were either structured in the folk tradition of telling a story, or the punk tradition of spitting venom. But he had a great touch for the deeply personal as well. Just look at some of the songs on his split with Robert Blake, Bellingham & Philadelphia. I fell in love with “Stuff’s Weird” shortly after seeing a somewhat-grainy Youtube video of him playing that at a show in New Jersey – years before it was released on The Stone Operation; the song has a strong personal touch while also examining the punk scenes. That duality was a special skill of Petersen’s – there’s just so much to take out of each and every song. Every line had so much heart and meaning in it. Just take a look at the sprinkling of lyrics featured throughout this story. As a lyricist, there were very few who belonged in the same class as Petersen.

Got a little dreamhouse, we could each one have it all,
But you got a habit of burnin' 'em down cause you don't like the color of the walls.
But it's okay, it's alright,
You know you're welcome anytime.
I think of all the lines you helped me to bust outside.
They say your first love lasts your life.

I remember listening to The Stone Operation all the time when that first came out. We were living in DeKalb at the time, and I’m pretty sure I burst into Danny’s room with that record on a USB stick, and told him to put it on his computer and listen to it cause it was a new Mischief Brew record and it was amazing! I remember we were playing video games one night with that record on—very shortly after it came out—and he made a comment about the fact I was already singing along with most of the songs. “I told you I’ve been listening to it a lot!” If I had to pick a favorite record it would probably be The Stone Operation. (Every one is amazing though, and has tons of great and memorable songs.) In my opinion this record mixes wonderfully the acoustic stylings of the early Mischief Brew era with a heavier, more traditional punk vibe. A perfect definition of the folk punk genre.

All my friends are drunks.
They gotta be on drugs.…
You'll see ink on a face or a ring through a place
That'll make you wanna kneel and pray.
And if your children go to see our show,
They're never comin' home.

The first time I saw Mischief Brew live was back in 2011 and has stood since then, and likely will for a very long time, as the hottest show I have ever been too. On a sweltering August night, way too many punks, probably over 100, packed into a tiny Noble Square basement, called the Juicer. Mischief Brew were one of those bands that I wondered if I would ever have the chance to see live, so that show back in 2011 was really exciting. I was lucky enough to see them a few other times, and Erik solo once. The shows were always high energy, with lots of crowd participation—your perfect punk shows. Part of the uniqueness of Mischief Brew shows was the diversity of the set list. It was one that was always hard to predict; there were always some deep cuts that seemed to make it on there as well as some of the more expected songs. “Every Town Will Celebrate,” “Bury Me in Analog,” “Bang-Up Policework,” “Ten Thousand Fleas,” “Thanks Bastards,” “Citizens Drive,” amongst others, all comprise the list of songs that were live surprises. One thing you could count on though, was the set ending with “Roll Me Through the Gates of Hell.” This would always be the most intense—and usually most enjoyable—moments of the setlist, with the entire basement or bar going crazy and screaming along. The song is just built for singing along, and form some of my favorite memories of seeing Mischief Brew live. Goddamn, I’m gonna miss that.

If it’s a highway
I am trying just to drive
I am trying just to drive
Stay awake and stay alive
If it’s a highway
I want you there at the side
I want you there at the side
Still awake and still alive

When I got home from work on Friday, I went through my normal routine of checking both hockey news and punk news. One of the very first things I saw then, was the headline “Mischief Brew’s Erik Petersen Passes Away.” Oh. Fuck. No. It was a total shock. Danny used the word surreal, which definitely fits. The rest of that day felt like a daze. This wasn’t like losing Lemmy, a guy who we all knew was in poor health. This one came right out of left field, and fucking hurt. While I’ve been a fan of Mischief Brew’s music for a decade, my interaction with Erik was limited to a “Great show, man”/“Thanks; thanks for coming out” exchange. I can’t imagine how this feels for all of the people who knew him personally, for all the bands he’s played with and the connections he’s made, for Denise Vertucci, his wife who was also involved with the band and helping him run Fistolo Records. RIP, Erik. You will be missed by more than you ever would have thought. Thank you for all of the great songs and great memories. Up the pugs, now and forever.

When the tape slows down it means the battery's dead.
May your songs never get stuck out of my head.
If I ever fall asleep I’ll remember my dream
Where everybody's there and nobody leaves

-Steve O

It took me a while to sit down and write out my memories for this post. Part of the reason for this was being busy with the zine we published last month, listing out our favorite Plan-It-X releases from that label’s 22 year run. The other part of the reason is that the news of Erik Petersen’s passing was difficult to process. Here was an immense talent that none of us imagined was nearing his last days. His music will continue to be close to my heart for its passion and for its glee. It was a joy to see Mischief Brew’s music evolve from acoustic folk punk to full-band electric mayhem. The core feeling I would get listening to their songs, however, remained the same. The truth in the words and the spirit of the delivery never wavered. These are songs that need to be celebrated for years to come.

I was lucky enough to see Mischief Brew three times. The first time, as Steve O also recalls, was the hottest show I have ever attended. My friends and I have been to countless shows. This “which was the hottest show of them all” talk is not the subject of barroom debate between us. That Mischief Brew show at the Juicer in 2011 is the unanimous, unquestioned hottest show ever. Stepping into that apartment, windows shut, on a summer day was like walking into an oven. My skin instantly began to feel slimy and amphibious. People left the apartment between each band, only re-entering when the next band was right about to start. Mischief Brew was last up, playing in support of The Stone Operation. They played about six or seven songs before calling it a night, to the dismay of no one. Of course it would have been nice to see them play longer, but it also was nice to not melt into the floor. This show was legendary not just for us. When Mischief Brew returned to Chicago a couple years later for a show at Township, Erik said something to the effect of “The last time we played Chicago … that was one of those shows your mom warns you about when you get into punk.” I’m paraphrasing here, but that was the sentiment. Despite the conditions, seeing Mischief Brew for the first time was so exciting. The Stone Operation is probably their best album, so to see them play material off that along with some older songs was perfect.

I was thrilled to see This is Not For Children come out on Alternative Tentacles. This is such a great record. I saw them at Fizz Bar in support of this album — another immensely fun experience. My brother’s band the Cheap Dates got to open that show, so we had a bunch of friends there. It was such a special show.

Mischief Brew

Mischief Brew at Fizz Bar last year

When Change the Rotation chose our favorite albums of 2015, This is Not For Children made it into the top eight in our bracket. A good showing, for sure. Erik tweeted this response at us and it meant so much to me that he took the time to read through our post.

Mischief Brew comment

I’ll wrap this up by saying that I’m grateful for the times I got to see Mischief Brew and for all the music Erik put out there. Let’s keep these songs alive forever.

-Phil Collins

Come sit down, we're lamenting about yesterday's sad ending
'Bout the water in me whiskey
The brass passed off as gold
Another round, we're descending into old tyme mem'ry
Of a day when wood was wooden, silver-silver, gold was gold
Sweet home was home

I was at work when I heard about Erik’s passing. For some reason I decided to take a break from what I was doing and pop onto Punknews. I never do that. I don’t know why I did it then but I saw the news that was posted about half an hour earlier. My first thought was “yeah right,” and I went back to what I was doing. The thought of it seemed to incomprehensible to grasp but I couldn’t get it out of my head. I decided to dig a little deeper and I was floored to find out that the story was true. I almost left work but got myself together after a walk around the neighborhood.

It was around 2006 that I was introduced to Mischief Brew by my friends Jamie and Steveo. I don’t remember the first time I heard them but I do remember sitting in my dorm room freshman year listening to songs like “Thanks Bastards,” “For an Old Kentucky Anarchist,” and this bootlegged version of “The Stone Worker” whose origin I still don’t know. I was entering my twenties, studying labor history, getting into folk music and reading a lot about anarchism. I spent many nights down by the tracks with a 40oz. watching the boxcars go by and dreaming of the world Erik painted in his lyrics. Later, I would discover his work with the Orphans and his solo music each earning places on playlists and mixes I would make for friends.

I had the pleasure of playing a show with Mischief Brew last summer. It was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had. Playing a show is almost always a good time on its own but getting to see one of your favorite bands play after your set is a whole different story. I remember being in the crowd, surrounded by friends when Mischief Brew took the stage and began playing “Drinking Song From the Home Stretch.” Steveo and I exchanged a “what the fuck” glance across the crowd and started singing along. This would happen several more times throughout the night as they went from one deep cut to another.

I didn’t know Erik personally but his passing still hit too close to home. I did get the chance to talk to Erik after that show. He was a genuinely nice person. The same goes for his band and his wife, Denise. My thoughts are with them and the rest of the community.

Love, love and rage
Soon be the day
They sang as they swayed in the pews
Sang with love, love and rage
Soon be the day as they joined up to pray

-Danny Brawlins