Peter Holsapple Trio

Event information

“Holsapple’s work has a pure humanity and warmth that very few artists can achieve and sustain.” Pop Dose
“Still operating at the peak of his creative powers” Musoscribe

Peter Holsapple is a musician and songwriter of some consequence in the recent history of American alternative rock: “from the fringes of power pop to the heart of American jangle, his fingerprints are all over the map, whether as co-captain of The dB’s, sideman to R.E.M. and Hootie, or chronicler of southern restlessness” (Strange Brew).

For this gig, Holsapple is joined by James Hallawall (The Waterboys) on keys and Pat Thomas on percussion.

Holsapple joined Chris Stamey’s newly formed group of The dBs in 1978, with the band soon to become one of the US indie scene’s most celebrated acts, until their disbandment in 1988. Holsapple then became an auxiliary guitarist, bassist and keyboardist for R.E.M. on their 1989 Green world tour, and was heavily involved in the recording of 1991’s multi-platinum “Out Of Time”, contributing acoustic guitar to ‘Losing My Religion’ and ‘Shiny Happy People’ among others. In the 90s and beyond Holsapple also toured extensively with Hootie & The Blowfish, as well as joining The Continental Drifters, a band also featuring Vicki Peterson (The Bangles) and Mark Walton (The Dream Syndicate).

In 2025, Holsapple released an extraordinary new solo album called “The Face of 68”. It reflects on age, humour and hurt, with his usual high-quality wordplay and legendary gifts for melody and harmony. For longtime fans and newcomers alike, Peter’s record is an enduring testament to his striking abilities as musician and songwriter.

Don Dixon (R.E.M., Smithereens) produced it in Peter’s hometown of Durham, NC, with a rhythm section of Rob Ladd (Connells, Don Henley) on drums and Robert Sledge (Ben Folds Five) on electric bass. Grammy-nominated engineer Jason Richmond was at the console for the four-day session, with Dixon mixing at his home studio in Canton, Ohio.

“I’ve been at this for a long time,” Peter admits. “I picked up my mom’s guitar after seeing the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, just like hundreds at that time. It stuck, and I began singing and playing in bands right after that. My first recording session was in 1972, with Chris Stamey and Mitch Easter (Let’s Active, R.E.M. producer) in the band. I moved to New York six years later and joined forces with Chris’ band, The dB’s. We cut several albums and toured the US and England. Then I moved to Los Angeles and joined Continental Drifters. That band also cut some records, toured Germany and the US and moved to New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina, I found my way back to North Carolina and my roots there. My home studio, The Hit Shed, has offered me the workspace to create endlessly, and The Face of 68 is the proof in the pudding, as it were.”