Pete Yorn in the CD101 Big Room - 5.3.2003

Andyman: We are live from the CD101 Big Room with the mighty Pete Yorn.

Pete Yorn: That’ll wake me up!

AM: And the entire nation of Madagascar. There are a ton of people in this Big Room! The CD101 Big Room is brought to us by Amp Energy drink, get Amped with Amp. I just had an Amp a little while ago and that’s why I’m refreshed and looking my best.  Pete, how are you today?

Pete: I’m really good, I’m good, I’m good. I’m with Joe Kennedy on piano.

Joe Kennedy: Hey

AM: Joe Kennedy. A lot of people don’t know this about Pete and Joe Kennedy but the three of us were in ‘Nam together. We were all in the same platoon and it was two clicks outside the Nang, where Pete and Joe… I was on the wire. Charlie was coming down on me pretty hard and they pulled me to the foxhole and picked me up. And it was Christmas Eve and we all found God that night. I believe that “For Nancy” is about that night, isn’t it the song you wrote?

Pete: Yeah, yeah.

AM: Pete, thank you for coming in today. Big show tonight at PromoWest Pavilion. Grandaddy’s opening up… uh, has Grandaddy been on the tour most of the time or is this the first show with them?

Pete: No, they’ve been the whole time.

AM: Those are some weird guys.

Pete: They’re great. They like to barbeque in the parking lot.  They come out and get a nice little pork chop.

AM: We were talking earlier here about the bad weather. You guys have been following the bad weather the entire tour.

Pete: It’s following us. Every single city we go to, it’s crappy weather.

AM: Starting in San Francisco and how many dates have you done so far?

Pete: This will be the seventh show I think.

AM: Lucky number seven.

Pete: Yeah. Rock n’ roll. We’ve been looking forward to it.

AM: Well you’ve got your guitar, you’ve got Joe, and his piano. Why don’t you go play one for us?

Pete: Alright.

AM: Then we’ll go do this interview thing.

Pete: We’re going to play obscure songs today. I’m not that obscure.

(plays song)

AM: I think they liked it.

Pete: Alright!

AM: Pete Yorn live from the CD101 Big Room, tonight at PromoWest with Grandaddy. Big rock n’ roll show. New album coming out on Columbia Records, your second on Columbia.

Pete: Yep.

AM: “The Day I Forgot.” You can hear the new rock n’ roll hit, “Come Back Home” on CD101. The album “The Day I Forgot” is mostly about remembering things. I mean, listening to the songs, it seems to be about remembering things. Things from your own personal experiences. It’s very Troubador-eque in the fact that your singer/songwriting material is really coming out and you get a real personal feeling from the songs. Especially, um… I’m missing the tile all of a sudden…

Pete: Track four?

AM: I think it’s track four or track three, the one with the great guitar of Carlos.

Pete: Hey, listen 

AM: Yeah! I’m missing the name of the song. What’s the name of the song?

Pete: It’s Carlos!

AM: Carlos!

Pete: Don’t let it go to your head!

AM: Yeah, Carlos, don’t let it go to your head. That song is amazing. Tell us about what goes behind that song?

Pete: Um… I don’t know. I think in general the record, like the title “Day I Forgot,” a lot of people initially thought that “oh, he’s trying to forget some awful day” or something, but it has nothing to do with that. It’s about like, you know, remembering all of the little fleeting moments that go on in your life every day, that you’re just so caught up in your work and everything that you just miss And maybe like six months later, a friend, you’ll run into an old friend and he’ll be like, “Dude! Remember when we were at the –“ I don’t know, wherever you were at, and it reminded you of something that happened and you remember and you’re like… you feel really good about remembering those kinds of moments. And, uh, that song “Carlos” I guess that’s kind of about knowing a bunch of characters over the years who are kinda looking for trouble always. And Carlos is kinda someone who’s looking for trouble and he’s probably going to screw up in a big way. Kinda like, there’s thing song by Springsteen called “Meeting Across the River.” Same type of character I was thinking about.

AM: And you come from New Jersey, just like Mr. Springsteen.

Pete: Yeah.

AM: What exit?

Pete: Um, I think off the Parkway like 149 or something.

AM: If you ever meet someone from  Jersey, they go, “Hey I’m from New Jersey,” go, “What exit?” and they’ll tell you because that’s all that Jersey is, is just one big freeway.

Pete: Yeah, that’s not true though!

AM: That’s great. Well, can we hear another one real quick so we can get you…

Pete: Yeah. Can we play a song called “When You See the Light” from “Day I Forgot”?

AM: You can play whatever song you want.

Pete: Let’s play that then.

(song plays)

AM: Pete Yorn, live from the CD101 Big Room. Again, the show tonight at PromoWest Pavilion. Grandaddy’s opening, the new album “The Day I Forgot,” Columbia Records, available at fine record establishments throughout the universe. And I believe you can also get it on this new thing called the Internet. You could probably get it from there as well.  Now, I heard a story about this tour, uh, a bird told me, after it was talking to another bird, that someone snuck backstage in Denver and had you sign something of theirs. A lovely lady named Juliet. Is that true?

Pete: That’s probably true

AM: Uh, since we’re in the remembering whole aura…

Pete: Yeah, see there’s a moment I had forgotten!

AM: What’s the craziest thing that’s happened to you? Maybe not on this tour but on, you know, your travels throughout America, the singing/songwriting Troubadour saving the nation. What’s something that you can remember about somebody who just really freaked you out pretty hard?

Pete: Um.. um…. Joe?

Joe: We just don’t like to encourage those people by repeating the stories.

Pete: That stuff I really did forget about. Um, I could think of like good things that happened.

AM: Okay, so what’s the best thing that ever happened to you on tour?

Pete: The best thing that happened on tour ever was playing drums for – when I got to play drums for Iggy Pop. That’s the best thing that ever happened. I mean, besides playing great shows with my band; all that for me was just like… a dream come true.

AM: Iggy Pop won’t come back to Columbus.

Pete: Why?!

AM: Cause he, uh, was at this big amphitheater and he stage dove and we didn’t catch him.

Pete: Ooooh.

AM: And he busted up his shoulder pretty bad.

Pete: Oh man.

AM: It was like the third song of the show. And Iggy Pop went flying, and it was like the red sea parted. And I just wanted to go…. It was Iggy Pop! That’s what he does, he stage dives! Why did you move?  So I guess they thought Iggy could fly because he was so light, that he weighs five pounds.

Pete: He kind of invented stage diving.

AM: Yeah, he sort of invented stage diving! So, if you’re ever with Iggy, tell him we’re really sorry. We’re really, really sorry.

Pete: Alright.

AM: “Day I Forgot,” the new album, “Come Back Home” the single… can we get you to play “Come Back Home”?

Pete: Yeah, we could try to play it.

(plays song)

AM: “Come Back Home” from the new album “Day I Forgot, Pete Yorn, live from the CD101 Big Room. Tonight the show at PromoWest Pavilion, everybody here’s going, right? Okay, so, we’re all going on the Sweet Pickles Fest, right? I’ve got it parked out back.

Pete: Sweet pickles!

AM: Single file, everybody got their buddy? We’re going to hit the bathroom first and then we’re going to head on up. Actually, I’m doing a big pre-party at Margarita Mama’s beforehand so come by and just say hi. We’re going to give a way a box to see you. They have boxes there, like suites.

Pete: Oh wow.

AM: Suite luxury boxes. Hookers and cocaine.

Pete: Sweet! I wanna win that!

AM: So come party with Pete and I and we’ll show you gospels for the truth. I’m going to let you, uh… I’m sure these people, they all have sharpies, something tells me you’re not getting out of here right way. So we’ll let you rest your voice, thank you very much for coming in again.

Pete: Thanks a lot!

AM: Lets give another big hand, everybody. Pete Yorn! Live from the CD101 Big Room, brought to us by Amp Energy drink Lets turn it back over to command central.

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