#ArtistAtHome is a series of portraits and profiles of local artists by Christopher Edmonstone. Read all about it and see the archive HERE.
So glad to have my pal Peter Lemon, drummer extraordinaire in The Matinee as today's featured #ArtistAtHome. Of all of the artist's homes that I have visited over the course of the series, I have to say the elevator ride up at Pete's was one for the books. After getting on the small elevator in Pete's building with all of my photography gear I was accosted by a woman that I would shortly discover was Pete's weird neighbour.
Exiting the elevator was a like a scene out of a movie where multiple things are happening at the same time. When the elevator doors opened, it smelled like somebody had smoked a joint in the hallway. As I got out behind the woman and made my way a few short steps to Pete's apartment door, another neighbour poked their head out their door to exclaim ' It smells like weed out here' just as the woman began interrogating me about what I was doing there. Thankfully, Pete opened the door and I walked in leaving his two neighbours to discuss things amongst themselves.
After that strange introduction to Pete's building, things got better immediately. I have been lucky to have known Pete for a few years now so my visit catching up with him and his fiancee Rosalyn was great.
Peter Lemon at home.
Although Pete is the drummer in his band, the drums weren't his first instrument. He started out playing piano, but at the age of 13 he says he developed an unquenchable thirst for loud, fast music, and drumming seemed to be the best way to scratch the itch. Pete's parents encouraged his musical aspirations, in fact their rule was as long as he lived under their roof he had to play an instrument. Music was always heard in the Lemon household - his Mom is a piano teacher and his Dad sang opera. It was pretty ideal, he said. The drums were set up in the basement so there wasn't a ridiculous amount of noise (at least, there weren't any noise complaints :-) )
Years later, Pete played one of his most memorable shows with his band Borange, which featured his friends and future Matinee bandmates, Matt Rose and Geoff Petrie. They were scheduled to play a fundraiser at The Wise Hall when Pete found out his dad had passed away. Despite this tragic news, he decided to play the show regardless, because he thought it was the right thing to do. On their way to the gig, Matt was driving and accidentally hit a pedestrian crossing the highway. It was dark, pouring rain and the woman that was hit wasn't using a crosswalk. After dealing with the cops for an hour, they managed to make their way to the venue. They were late, soaking wet and exhausted from the days events but they managed to bring the energy, getting the whole crowd on their feet and leaving them wanting more. He felt this was their first successful show as a group and really validated what he wanted to do with his life.
Many thanks to Pete and Rosalyn for a most entertaining visit. The guys in The Matinee recfently had a single in the CBC Radio3 top ten, and are about to hit the road for some tour dates. Check their website for show dates.
