Music: 5:00 PM // Doors: 4:00 PM -- Tickets: $10 Pre-Sale // $15 Doors
photo by Kim Rottmayer
The Artist
From 1999 to 2019, Billy Peake was a constant creative presence in the Columbus music scene—first with regional touring and recording juggernaut Miranda Sound, then with power pop stalwarts Bicentennial Bear.
The Album
Manic Waves marks Peake's first solo effort, though he's quick to add caveats. "First of all, it's totally ridiculous that I made a 'solo' record," he laughs. "It started as a weird recording project in 2019 that I figured would evolve into a band or just fade away. But then COVID happened and I found myself writing and recording a ton of music with some incredible guest contributors."
The result is an album that both honors his past and explores new territory. While some tracks echo his work with Miranda Sound and Bicentennial Bear—powered by overdriven guitars and his distinctive vocals—others venture into uncharted sonic terrain. On tracks like "Maybe We Shouldn't!!" and "Carrie said 'Do the Math'," Peake embraced synthesizers, channeling his love for New Wave crossover hits of his youth.
"Oh man, that first Cars album is everything to me, and I love the radio songs from The Human League, Thompson Twins and Blondie" he explains. "I'm a hack with a keyboard, so I labeled the keys with a marker and started trying stuff. I also wrote a few songs with the bass—if you write an active bass line, butts will shake, and the rest of the instrumentation can be sparse. It really opens things up."
Manic Waves was mixed, co-engineered, and co-produced by Mike Montgomery (The Breeders, R. Ring, Superchunk, Protomartyr), and mastered by Sarah Register (Kim Gordon, David Bowie, Nada Surf).
“I threw a lot of weird shit at Mike,” Peake explains. “And he did an incredible job making it work.”
The Live Show
For the release performance, Peake reunites with trusted collaborators from Bicentennial Bear: Jason Mowery (drums), Adam Dowell (bass), and Leah Wahlin (keyboards and vocals). Completing the lineup is Brian Hake on guitar, a longtime friend and former leader of Kopaz.
"I love them all very much," Peake says. "I'm super grateful that they are helping me bring this batch of songs to life."
The Lineup
The evening opens with Holiday Lions, marking the debut of Hake and Mowery's primary project that also includes John Fitzgerald (Pretty Mighty Mighty) and Sean Sefcik (Miranda Sound, Bicentennial Bear). Nervous Verbs—Mike Montgomery's solo project on Don Giovanni Records—rounds out the bill.
"It's gonna be a 2005 love fest at Rambling House," Peake grins, "but remixed with 100% new music."
Links:
https://billypeake.com/
https://dongiovannirecords.com/pages/nervous-verbs