Hi Pete! So, first of all, tell me about a little about how the band got together.
We’re a three-piece. I play a custom 8-sting bass, we have a cellist and a drummer. Sometimes there’s a glockenspiel. We started in 2010-so that six years now, that makes me feel old. We started out by auditioning for the Music Underground Project in NYC. It’s a program that chooses musicians to play in New York subways. So we play all over New York, in subway stations like Grand Central. Seven drummers and two cellists later, we’re still here.
What’s playing in the subway like?
It’s a big workload. You pack up fifteen pounds of equipment and schlep it up three flights of stairs in all weather. We used to play at Penn Station but that was a lot—no one stops and listens. People are in a hurry at Penn Station, I can’t blame them. But at other spots, people will just hang out with you and miss a few trains just to watch you play. And that’s such a great feeling.
After doing this for so many years I can really tell when performers are outside playing simply for the joy of performance, or when they’re just trying to make a quick buck. And I think the audience can too, on a subconscious level. For me, it’s all about making that connection. I live for it.
How often does You Bred Raptors? play?
We play about 150 shows a year. We’ve been touring a lot in addition to shows in the city. It’s a lot, honestly. We will sell out in a second. I am so ready to move to Japan and do Coke commercials. We’ll do a Tampax commercial, whatever. Anything. Anytime. If any of your readers call hook it up, just call me!
Continue reading 12 Days of MAGFest: Q&A with Pete Rain (You Bred Raptors?)
