Music Row
By Brian Rademaekers
My first impression of the Peace Creeps?
These guys are old. And creepy. Yet cool.
With a lead singer who looks like Andy Warhol did in the ’70s, and a cast of band mates that easily could have been in a 1987 garage band, you don’t really know what to expect from them.
But once the music starts rolling, it’s clear you’re in for a good time. Think Elvis Costello fronting a psychedelic indie outfit. Then take that and sharpen it with the skill of seasoned musicians who have mastered their craft without losing an inch of edginess.
That’s the Peace Creeps, and I’ll give you their story.
They’re a newly formed band that just put out a debut album, but they really have roots in the local music scene that go back decades. They are the brainchild of Richard Bush — former front man of the Philly punk powerhouse The A’s. For those not familiar, The A’s were a local punk/new wave band that came to prominence in the late 1970s and early ’80s.
Thirty years ago, the then-young musicians were expected to be the next big thing around here, a sort of rock follow-up to the soulful Philly sound that had defined the earlier half of the ’70s. Dishing out songs that were both raw with emotion and danceable, The A’s quickly built up a local following and were infamous for their exuberant shows.
Their most popular hit, Woman’s Got the Power, appeared on an album of the same name in 1981 and made it into the Billboard Top 100, earning the band national radio play. Locally, the song was played at Phillies games, and elevated them to cult status. Later, the song would be covered by Clarence Clemens, Jennifer Holiday and The Boss.
Then came that old far-too-familiar tune of the big label (in this case Arista) mucking up a fledgling band’s promotion. They toured big for a while, opening for bands like the Ramones. But, for whatever reason, their sound never really caught fire, nor did it bring in the cash the label was betting on. Some say it was their lack of synthesizer, which was just starting to catch on. Others say that they just didn’t have the desire to play stadium-size crowds.
Arista soon dropped them. And when a self-produced follow-up EP to Woman failed to attract attention, The A’s headed for oblivion.
For about 25 years, that was thought to be the end of Richard Bush, his witty songwriting, and voluminous vocals. But this past fall, Bush and his new band put out an ear-perking album, Autumn of Love, much to the delight of Philly music fans. In all that time, Bush’s former A’s songs never lost their appeal, a fact made apparent by the appearance of a cover of CIA, a song from their first album, on a 2005 compilation of hot new Philly bands.
And today, with about a dozen shows under their belt, Bush’s new band is picking up momentum where The A’s left off. Sonically, Bush has shed his old sound, and the Peace Creeps are in no way a rebirth of The A’s. Yet, in his voice there is still that punk-ish and youthful feeling. Also still kicking are the playfully sardonic lyrics, delivered this time amid some blistering rock that at times incorporates flutes and sitars. It is blissful, masterful music that proves Bush has done well in this new incarnation.
This Friday, you can see Bush and his new band mates show newbies Overbrook and Lolita Bras how it’s done at the North Star Bar. ••
Here are the details . . .
Who: The Peace Creeps
What: A Philly rock legend making a much-delayed second appearance
Where: The North Star Bar, 26th and Poplar streets.
When: Friday, April 27, at 9 p.m. Tickets are $8.