Arts & Entertainment
Green Room: Pop Goes Joe Pernice
A rare solo show at Jammin' Java by one of Boston's finest
Joe Pernice is that rare musical artist who has his head in the clouds and his feet on the ground.
As the leader of The Pernice Brothers, he makes dizzying, dazzling pop music, the kind that makes the audience feel like there's too much oxygen in the room. And yet, as a businessman, he's got his thing together, making the records he wants to make, selling as many as he needs to, licensing songs to the right companies.
To paraphrase The T Rex song, Pernice is a 21st Century Boy. Very knowing, pretty unflappable, unwilling to let music business troubles interrupt his flow of great songs.
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And you can see this together guy on Friday when he brings his catchy songs, his way with a phrase, and yes, his beard,
"I came into the music business at an interesting time," Pernice said, his 'Bahston' accent still in tact though he now makes him home in Toronto. "My band got signed to Sub Pop records, when they were still flush from the wake of Nirvana's success. As much as it seemed like a fresh, new beginning, I could see by '98 or so, we were looking at the death of the old model. Pretty soon, I began plotting to start my own label."
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Within a couple of years, this guitarist-songwriter started Ashmont Records, with his friend and business partner Joyce Linehan. Though they have also put out records by English singer/songwriter John Cunningham, Ashmont Records is otherwise all-Pernice-all-the-time, with records by Joe solo and with The Brothers, which features the "other Pernice," his brother Bob. Bob.
It couldn't be going better, Joe says.
"It was one of the best decisions I ever made, starting Ashmont," Pernice said. "After a brief time on Sub Pop, you could feel the pressure to have a hit. It makes you really start to second guess yourself. On Ashmont Records, there's none of that. Plus, without a middle man, I found you could actually sell fewer records and make more money. That was incredible. Also, I'm not a schmoozing sort of guy. So, I just write songs and record them now. Without having to be nice to all these execs!"
On the Pernice Brothers most recent disc, "Goodbye Killer," these guys traffic on the same pop street as Crowded House and NRBQ, melding a mix of lovely melodies, electric and acoustic guitars, and often twisted lyrics about folks like sleaze-mongering novelist "Jaqueline Susann."
If you can imagine the songs of Squeeze being written by some really shady characters, you'd have The Pernice Brothers.
One of the more uplifting aspects of talking to Joe Pernice is he's one of the rare,current musicians who has good news to spread about how he's functioning in music's Brave New World.
Take that commercial.
"I get a fair number of requests to use my songs in ads," Pernice said. "But, I'm selective. I won't let them use just anything and not for any product I find sketchy. Or a company like Lockheed Aircraft. But, not long ago, a paint company asked to use to something of mine. We came to terms and it worked out really well. In fact, the money put my kid through college!"
"It's pretty great when you own your own masters and your publishing,"Pernice added. "I recommend that every musician do it."
As for the new, eagerly-anticipated Pernice Brothers album, their leader says, "It's literally being wrapped as we speak. It's going to be called 'Spread The Feeling.'"
As far as his life up North, Pernice says that's going very well, too. With, maybe one exception.
"I go to see The Blue Jays play, whenever my beloved Red Sox are in town," the die-hard Bostonian said. "It's mostly great, even if there's one glitch. I really can't stand the band, Rush. And almost every time I'm at a game, so is (Rush singer) Geddy Lee. And they have to put his big, ridiculous face up on the Jumbotron. Man, that can really wreck your day."
Pernice pauses and laughs.
"Aside from that? I've got a pretty good thing going."
Joe Pernice takes the stage at 7 p.m. Friday Tickets are $15.