Admiration comes in many flavors.
You admire people who do things you don't do and could never do, your Usains Bolt or Simones Biles. You admire people who do the things you do but much better than you could imagine doing; for me, that's your Franks Rich or Kurts Vonnegut.
Then there are people who do whatever they do with a specific style or elan that makes it iconic; the list here could veer all over the place but I'm thinking Frank Sinatra, David Bowie and Prince all make the grade.
I admire Cranky Pete on all of those levels, and more. He's a writer, he's a poker player, but mostly, he's an iconic example of the post-modern intellectual who doesn't need misogyny to prove his manhood. More importantly, he's a genuinely great dude.
Any time spent in Pete's presence is time well spent. Even when the cards he's given me have been shit, the dealer has been gold. Hanging with him and the boys online over the pandemic was a lightweight but steadfast anchor to the world of human connection for me, and I expect for most of those involved.
It takes a strong center of gravity to hold members of a community in each others' orbit instead of flinging off into different directions like random asteroids plummeting through the void of space. Pete provides that center. I admire him for it, for his persistent sardonic humor, and for his talents both artistic and literary.
But not for his poker playing. If Aaron is at the top of the leaderboard, the universe is askew somehow and I think Pete's gotta accept the blame.
Happy Birthday, Pete. Hope you enjoy the songs.
Birthday Dozen 001
Bookends:
"Pete the Cat Theme (feat. Elvis Costello)" -- Pete the Cat, Elvis Costello
"He's the Man" -- The Simpsons, Shawn Colvin
Elvis is best when he's brief and this is about as brief as you can get. At the other end of the playlist, another brief one but chock full of throwaway one-liners that would be more iconic if more people knew this song. Hard to believe this is the same Shawn Colvin of "Sunny Came Home." "Get down and put your knees together!"
The Magazines:
"PUNCH LINE! -- Dempagumi
"Brick" -- Ben Folds Five
Before I knew Pete, I knew "Pete," the guy at the helm of "PUNCHLiNE" who made me laugh out loud with snappy prose that was never dumb or cheap, and usually had nuggets of insight shining bright within the casual irreverence. This song may come off as an annoying anime theme song for most listeners but 30 seconds in, it takes its first of a few weird sonic detours. If you can last to the 3 minute mark, there are a couple more plus a short shredding guitar solo.
I hope mentioning "Brick" doesn't open any old wounds. The paper was a valiant effort, even if it could by definition never be another Punchline. The song is the closest to a pop song on this list and is a bit sad and wistful, perhaps all appropriate analogs to the mag.
Punch the Clock:
"Dealer (feat. Future & Lil Baby)" -- RMR, Future, Lil Baby
"Artillery" -- Infected Mushroom
OK, so being a "dealer" is not actually a job but its the main role I've known Pete in for the past 8-10 years or so. The sounds that kick off the song are the least annoying sitar riffs I've ever heard. (Sales) Artillery was a job for Pete; that's about all I know about it. The song is a little paint-by-the-numbers rap-wise but the lyrics include pop culture refs in a way that suggests midlife angst that I can relate to.
Partners:
"Liz" -- Remi Wolf
"Diavolo" -- Liz
I chose both of these songs because I liked the way they sound and they namecheck Liz. Listening to the lyrics, I realize the messages may be problematic ("She don't seem the same since she working on the corner," Diavolo = Devil). So I'll just say I was trying to pay tribute to your awesome wife who I wish I had gotten to know better when we were both at Style. But she's undoubtedly cool and so are these songs.
The Teenager:
"Lola" -- Ripe
"Lola" -- MIKA
The Kinks cover seems an obvious choice and overused but this is one of the best covers I've heard. Purists probably cringe at the horns, particularly the brass freak-out at the end. Seems like a party to me. The MIKA song is a rare love song that manages to be unironic and simple without being dumb. I can't help but embrace a knowing line like "Love makes you laugh, love makes you cry / The oldest game in history, repeated."
The Boy:
"Woody" -- Hayden
"Woody Woody" -- Dimie Cat
I don't know who Hayden is but this song has a Mumford & Sons vibe without the pretension. It's also apparently about a cat, so it connects in a weird and unintentional way with the first song. So there's that. I also don't know Dimie Cat who put out two records about 10 years ago. Her songs seems like a fun mix of classic jazz and modern stylings that I think/hope an audiophile like Pete can appreciate.
Listen on Spotify. (Sorry no YouTube link!)
