Vanessa Peters & Ice Cream on Mondays

Vanessa Peters and ICOM's "Sweetheart, Keep Your Chin Up" may well be my 2009 disc of the year. It's definitely in my Top 10. Vanessa's written and recorded fourteen intelligent hook-filled folk-pop songs that dominate my "Top 25 Most Played" list on iTUNES. With an emotive voice (somewhere between Suzanne Vega and Laura Cantrell), Vanessa sings some of the most memorable personal lyrics I've heard from any singer-songriter: male or female. "Austin, I Made A Mess" chronicles her stab at a music career in Texas and the lyrics might sound bitter if she wasn't so talented. "Drowning In Amsterdam" (well it could rain for days and then where would I be? tethered to this chair barely capable of gravity) and "The Grammar of a Sinking Ship" (It's the meaning of the word that really matters more, it's the action of the verb, I was tearing then I tore) are just two examples of her lyrical skills. Vanessa weaves melodies and mythology with references to 9/11, broken hearts, global warming, ships and the sea into a memorable mix that warrants repeat listens. You can call "Sweetheart, Keep Your Chin Up" folk, pop, alt country, literary music or Americana. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy and see for yourself.

Skeptical?

Here's a video of Vanessa performing "Drowning In Amsterdam" live. Enjoy!

Now do you believe me?

Hey, if you're really really lucky you can see Vanessa when she comes to a town near you!

Sep 11 2009 9:00P
Noble Savage Tavern Shreveport, Louisiana
Sep 12 2009 8:00P
The Potter Place - House Concert Plano, Texas
Sep 13 2009 6:00P
McGonigel’s Mucky Duck w/ Country Store Buffalo Houston, Texas
Sep 16 2009 3:30P
Austin Bergstrom International Airport Austin, Texas
Sep 17 2009 9:00P
Revolution Bryan, Texas
Sep 18 2009 8:00P
Momo’s Club Austin, Texas
Sep 19 2009 9:00P
Cove Music San Antonio, Texas
Sep 23 2009 5:30P
Shack in the Back Odessa, Texas
Sep 24 2009 7:00P
Ardovino’s Desert Crossing Sunland Park, New Mexico
Sep 25 2009 9:00P
Dragonfly Lounge at Cliff Castle Casino Camp Verde, Arizona
Sep 26 2009 8:00P
House Concert Salt Lake City, Utah
Sep 30 2009 8:00P
House Concert Denver, Colorado
Oct 1 2009 8:00P
Artichoke Sandwich Bar Wichita, Kansas
Oct 2 2009 8:00P
Strecker Nelson Gallery Manhattan, Kansas
Oct 3 2009 8:00P
Schlafly Tap Room St. Louis, Missouri
Oct 4 2009 8:00P
Red Line Tap Chicago, Illinois
Oct 6 2009 11:00A
Waukesha County Technical College Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Oct 10 2009 8:00P
House Concert Cincinnati, Ohio
Oct 11 2009 8:00P
Purple Fiddle Thomas, West Virginia
Oct 14 2009 8:00P
The Acoustic Coffeehouse Johnson City, Tennessee
Oct 15 2009 12:00P
Knoxville Visitors Center - WDVX Blue Plate Special Knoxville, Tennessee
Oct 17 2009 7:30P
Crossroads Music Company Winnsboro, Texas
Oct 21 2009 8:00P
The Hideout Theater - The Sessions Austin, Texas
Nov 1 2009 8:00P
Cafe Jazz - The Acoustic Shift Cardiff
Nov 3 2009 8:30P
The Beehive Swindon
Nov 4 2009 8:30P
Harpurs Cellar Bar - Bedford LIVE! Bedford
Nov 5 2009 8:00P
The Prom Bristol
Nov 6 2009 8:00P
Grub Cafe East Grinstead
Nov 7 2009 8:00P
The Windjammer Inn Dartmouth
Nov 8 2009 8:00P
The Marine Theatre Lyme Regis
Nov 12 2009 8:00P
The Green Note London, London and South East
Nov 13 2009 8:00P
House Concerts - York - Opening for Patty Larkin! York
Nov 14 2009 8:00P
Barnsley House Concerts Barnsley Wombwell
Nov 15 2009 2:30P
Cultuurpodium Roepaen Ottersum
Nov 15 2009 5:00P
Resistent Roermond
Nov 17 2009 8:00P
Café Cambrinus Horst, Limburg
Nov 19 2009 8:30P
De Witte Bal Assen
Nov 20 2009 8:00P
vzw Oorzaak Lendelede
Nov 21 2009 8:00P
House Concert Mulheim an der Ruhr
Nov 22 2009 1:30P
Acoustic Alley Den Haag
Nov 23 2009 8:00P
Meneer Frits Eindhoven
Apr 15 2010 8:00P
Den Herberg Belfeld
Apr 16 2010 8:00P
Theater Odeon Papenstraattheater Zwolle
Apr 18 2010 8:00P
’t Podium Hoogeveen
Apr 25 2010 7:00P
Dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Haus (Bonni) Gelsenkirchen