PETE HOPKINS: Pete Hopkins live at El Cid, November 4th 2003
Pete was born in Aurora, Colorado, although he grew up all over the country. He lived in Loveland, Colorado; Boise, Idaho; Beaverton, Oregon; North and South Dakota;even Wichita, Kansas, where he lived for four years. Pete ultimately moved to Seattle in the middle of his fourth grade, where he has been until his recent move to Los Angeles. The talented songwriter/multi-instrumentalist sings and performs on Guitar, Bass, Piano/Keyboards and Drums.
Pete draws influence from a wide variety of music: The Beatles, Chemical Brothers, Garbage, Nelly, SRV, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Sting/The Police, Marvin Gaye, Stax Mowtown, Steely Dan, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, John Williams, Johan Sebastian Bach, Mussorgsky, Mendellson, Holst, Metallica, Slayer, Sepultura, Pantera, Jeff Buckley, The Doors, Jamiroquai, Rob Zombie, Sublime, Joe Satriani, Marty Freidman, Al Dimeola, Fatboy Slim, Beastie Boys, Dr Dre.
Pete was the featured local artist of the month on 103.7 "The Mountain," Seattle, WA, in September 2001, was a semifinalist in the Shure National Songwriting Contest 2002, and a featured artist in a VH1-sponsored promotion, to name a few credits to his name.
Pete's goal is to make a great living doing what he loves: continuingly challenge himself to explore his heart, the hearts of others, and express this through his music, and in the process sell tons of records and go on world tours.
What does he want people to feel or enjoy about his music? In his words, "Music has made such a tremendous impact on my life. Its powers of healing, awakening, and emotional evocation are true magic. It has allowed me to express so many things about what I feel about our world, our society, my heart, and the emotional needs of the youth. I want people to feel whatever they want about it. Just feel it for real."
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Chronology of Pete's musical history in his words:
"My mom's side of the family is very musical and I have been surrounded by it since birth. I've got some rather embarrassing tapes of me singing songs when I was 2 years old, so I've been singing all my life. My grandparents had a piano in their house and I would spend a lot of time playing around on it. I picked up a guitar when I was in junior high and I haven't put it down since.
"I took a couple of years of private instruction with Greg Wright at the Academy of Music. We studied various styles with an emphasis on Metal and, specifically, Metallica, because I totally worshipped them. He was a great teacher and showed me some very clever ways to demystify the fretboard. I would literally play all day and all night.
"I had already begun to write my own material after about six months of playing, and I formed a band with some friends in school. We were called 'Devil's Advocate', and anyone who heard us would probably say, 'They sound like Metallica except that their drummer sucks.' That didn't matter. We were still cool just because we had a band.
"Then I got heavy into guitar slingers at this time. Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Kirk Hammett became my new professors. The faster, the better! I was on a quest to crush 'em all one day. I also studied players with more exotic phrasing such as Marty Freidman, Al Dimeola, and yes, there was a time when I thought Yngwie Malmsteen was the man. All the while I would continue to write songs. I wrote a lot of instrumental music; more than an album per year. From 1995-98, I recorded four full-length records in my house.
"I began writing songs with lyrics and hooky singable melodies backed by unique chord changes. I was getting more and more into jazz music. I loved the harmonic texture and the way melodies would weave in and out of the complex musical palette. I was also getting totally hooked on anything with syncopation: Funk, Hip Hop, Trip Hop.
"I began to conceptualize a sound that had the melodic sensibilities of Pop, the rich background of Soul, the energy of Rock and the elastic groove of Funk and Hip Hop.
"I also took years of professional voice lessons and this greatly enhanced my impact as an artist and as a performer. Singing was so deep for me it was like therapy.
"I performed my music all over the Northwest as anything from a solo act to an eight piece band.
"Last year was spent entirely on writing and recording of new material.
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Reviews of Pete:
Pete Hopkins!!! party 9/13
WOW, I must tell you. I went to a party last night in Lower Tujunga, and you would never guess but our own Pete Hopkins performed on the patio! I was just kicking back at my candle lit table with a smoke, a Cabernet, and a plate of some vegetarian concoction. Next thing you know, I see Pete! Those of us who could not make his show at the Rainbow on Friday sure missed out on some great music. Pete, accompanied by guitar (his own), bongos and harmonica filled the back lawn with sweet melodies and soulful songs. A strong song writer, Pete's lyrics told stories of love, the wonder and angst we all feel while following our dreams, fighting your doubts, and friendship. His use of wording and phrase was none less than brilliant.
It did not matter Pete had little accompaniment behind him. He nailed the pockets and mesmerized the partygoers, each body swaying, every face a smile. Next time you need a night of great music unlike the typical generic acoustic epic... you know what I mean. Take some time and spin by a Pete Hopkins show. You will be pleased you did so. Also, if you know any musicians interested in working with a great singer songwriter, send them Pete Hopkins' way!
Look out Justin Timberlake, and Paul Simon for that matter!
-April Roberts, Rock City News, Los Angeles
TheAv.com 9/9/03
Pete Hopkins is a talented singer-songwriter, recently arrived in LA from Seattle. Catch one of his gigs, either at the Rainbow Bar and Grill on the 12th, $7 cover, show at 8 p.m., 9015 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, phone (310) 278-4232, or on the 16th at The Foxx Club in Culver City, $7 cover, show at 9:30 p.m., 3387 Motor Ave., phone (310) 839-2500.
His EP disk features Pete on vocals and performing a variety of instruments, all tracked into cuts that sound like a cohesive band. Stylistically, there's some Stevie Wonder and Carlos Santana in there, with a trace of the Seattle grunge. It's pop, but there's fine originality, not the soundalike clone stuff that clutters the radio. Pete is at home in acoustic and electric genres, so he should quickly find fans and supporters in Southern California. His web site is www.petehopkins.net.
-Larry Wines, The AV.com, Los Angeles
Pete Hopkins is "a truly original experience...artistic expression in many forms."
- Corey Dylan, KISS 106.1 FM, Seattle, WA
"Pete Hopkins [is] the f**king coolest!"
- Linda Zopfi, A Zopfi Productions, Seattle, WA
VH1's "Rock Across America" films Pete's performance at Seattle's 100 year old legendary Central Saloon.
August 9th, 2001.
Pete's performance on VH1's "Rock Across America" airs nationally.
August 25, 2001
Pete chosen by Seattle AAA radio station 103.7 FM "The Mountain" to be their monthly featured artist on "Local Access" program. September, 2001
Pete's debut in-studio radio performance on 100.7 FM "The Buzz." Pete played "Matter of Time" on his 2003 self-titled CD.
July, 2001
NW Unity Jam!: Fund- raiser concert for The Red Cross in aid of victims of
9-11/01.
December, 2001
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.clutchrecording.com/feature.html
Track List:
1. A Very Good Day
2. Umbrella
3. Someone Help Me
4. Take Me Back
5. It's Over Now
6. Take It Easy
7. My Misery
8. When the Winds Change
9. Take The Train
10. Love More
Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
- ROCK: Acoustic
- POP: Today's Top 40
- TYPE: LIVE RECORDINGS