Peter Himmelman strikes up
the Royal Oak Music Jam.
RUTH LITTMANN STAFF WRITER
F
ridays for rock 'n' roller Peter
Himmelman once meant gigs in
, New York City, late dinners of
Pad Thai Shrimp, then sleep-
overs with a girlfriend at her
place.
By rock 'n' roll standards, it was a tame
and civilized existence, but for Himmel-
man, those Friday nights have become
part of a wilder past.
Himmelman knows he's an oddity tough
to describe. In the rock 'n' roll world,
stamped with rebel-vibes of casual sex and
drug use, it's not often you find a popu
lar artist who keeps the Sabbath, dons
tefillin and observes laws of kashrut.
Himmelman's songs might ring a bell.
Then again, they might not. The 37-year-
old native of Minneapolis, Minn., has cut
albums with Island, Epic and Sony 550.
Popular titles include: Skin, Flown This
Acid World, Gematria, This Father's Day
and others.
Although Himmelman's music rides the
airwaves in other states, it has yet to be
heard on Detroit radio, and several local
fans would like to know why. They de-
scribe his repertoire as an energetic and
singable blend of Elvis Costello, Bruce
Springsteen and Joe Jackson, with a lit-
tle Bob Dylan (who just happens to be
Himmelman's father-in-law).
Under Dylan's shadow of fame, Him-
melman has sought to emerge a star in
his own right. He combines folksy rock
with interactive stage performances. Sar-
castic, but tongue-in-cheek dialogues with
audience members have won him the de-
votions of 20-somethings like Jimmy
Rosenberg of metro Detroit.
"He's amazing. He gives the best show
u)
n I've ever seen. You never know what he's
' going to do next," Rosenberg says.
i) Former Manager Steve "Wess" West-
T
man says Himmelman's audience is by no
, means exclusively Jewish. In fact, out
Lu
I-- West, especially in California and Col-
C3 orado, fans criss-cross generations, as well
cc
J as religious denominations. Wess attrib-
D utes the broad appeal to artistic spon-
t taneity.
"He doesn't have an agenda when he
I--
goes on stage. He doesn't have a list. The
rhythm section has been together since its
78
Left:
Peter Himmelman: An
Orthodox Jew in a rock 'n' roll
world.
Below:
This Father's Day: Songs of
real beauty and craft.