By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Tribune and other outlets
April 4, 2023
Singer-songwriter Peter Case (the Plimsouls, the Nerves) said that one of his best travel memories is walking around Paris. “It might be my favorite place to wander on foot,” said the guitarist, who grew up in New York and resides in San Francisco. “I love visiting the famous sites [like] Montmarte, Notre Dame, the Left Bank, the Tuileries and the more hidden places, too. I saw buskers playing wild jazz on the steps of the Sacre-Coeur, then hiding their instruments as the gendarmes [police officers] cruised by in a paddy wagon, eyeing the crowd. I love visiting bookshops on the road, so I make Shakespeare and Company a destination.” The veteran musician’s tour to promote his latest album “Doctor Moan” kicks off on April 12.
Q: Which of your previous tour dates stand out the most?
A: The first time everywhere was most always the biggest kick. First visits to Dublin, Rome, London, Tokyo, Paris and Amsterdam were all very exciting.
Q: Did you write any of “Doctor Moan” on the road?
A: This whole album was conceived, written and recorded during the pandemic shutdown and not disrupted by any touring. But my travels influence everything. They are part of my imagination.
Q: What was the first trip you took as a child?
A: I went to Europe in the ’60s to visit my big sister, who lives in the French part of Switzerland. We traveled all around and camped out. I loved seeing France and England. We went to Provence and saw wild horses on the Camargue. I loved seeing the men play pétanque – a game tossing steel balls – in the park in Marseille. The atmosphere around the games was intense. They had money riding on it.
Q: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?
A: That people are beautiful everywhere you go – all different and all the same. Folks are struggling everywhere, too. I saw street performers all across Europe. Little did I know that I’d be one in a few years, when I became a busker up and down the West Coast and into Mexico.
Q: Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A: From San Francisco, we like to go down to Santa Cruz. We take the coast highway and go to the beach down there [and] enjoy walking around the town.
Q: If you’ve ever gone away for the holidays, which was the best trip?
A: We went back to Buffalo for Christmas a while back. Usually we stay home and enjoy San Francisco as the city empties out for the holidays. It’s one of my favorite times here.
Q: Do you speak any foreign languages?
A: I studied French as a kid and read some books with the help of translation. It’s easier to read than to speak. In California, we hear Spanish all the time. I understand some, but don’t speak much. I wish I’d learned, though.
Q: What are your five favorite cities?
A: Dublin, Paris, New York, London and Memphis. All of these places appealed to my dream life, and the aura of these cities was created by painters, writers and musicians, as well as the historical political figures and events.
Q: Where have you traveled to that most reminded you of home?
A: Australia seemed like a combination of England, California and Texas.
Q: Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A: Greece, Mali, Nigeria, Brazil, Chile.
Q: When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A: I’ve always got a notebook, pens, a guitar, several things to read and a sketch pad. I usually have a Hohner Marine Band harmonica in my pocket.
Q: What would be your dream trip?
A: Greek Islands for an uninterrupted year, then Paris for a month on the way back just to walk around.
Q: What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?
A: Maps, phrase books and advice from people I know.
Q: What is your best vacation memory?
A: I sailed the Atlantic on an ocean liner in 1964. That was pretty exciting for a 10-year-old kid. Maybe that was the start of my mad desire for travel, to be out in the middle of an ocean on a ship. We went on some incredibly high and rough seas for a few days. Most of the people onboard were sick and upset, but I was just a child. I didn’t know enough to be concerned. The ship was lurching all around. The Beatles had just come out that year. I was listening to their singles on a jukebox in the cafe.
© 2023 JAE-HA KIM
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