BRATTLEBORO-Author Amy Waldman will present her new biography of music promoter and club owner Peter Jest on Thursday, Aug. 22, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., in the Community Meeting Room of Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main St.
We Had Fun and Nobody Died: Adventures of a Milwaukee Music Promoter details how, from a young age, Jest booked thousands of concerts across Wisconsin and the Midwest, and opened Shank Hall, the Milwaukee venue named after a club in the cult film This Is Spinal Tap.
Waldman's narrative follows Jest as he attempts to manage a turbulent band on the road, negotiates with agents, deals with fires (both real and metaphorical), and takes pleasure in presenting music of all kinds - from world-famous acts to up-and-coming local bands. The book also features stories of the lasting friendships Jest established over the years with the likes of John Prine, Arlo Guthrie, the Violent Femmes, and others.
The book includes dozens of photos and images of concert posters, tickets, backstage passes, and other memorabilia documenting decades of rock, folk, and alternative shows that helped put Milwaukee on the live music map.
As the industry becomes increasingly dominated by profit-driven corporations, We Had Fun chronicles a one-of-a-kind, fiercely independent promoter "whose love of music and dedication to the artists have helped him keep it real in the music business for more than 40 years," say organizers.
For more information, contact Brooks Memorial Library at 802-254-5290 or visit brookslibraryvt.org.
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