Erik started making music at a young age, but it wasn’t until age 16 that he started playing shows with his punk band, The Orphans. Influenced by “Fresh Fruit”-era Dead Kennedys and “Worlds Apart”-era Subhumans, the band had released a 7” (“Anthems for Doomed Youth,” 1996) before half of them were even old enough to drive. They officially disbanded in 2000 and Erik continued to make music…digging into the past for a more traditional sound to mix with punk ideals. The result was “Mirth,” a demo of acoustic punk influenced by medieval danses and raucous Romany dust-raising ditties (2000). The tape was rough and scratchy - yet it was clear that there were solid anthems buried under that hiss, which was evident by the scope of the tape, spanning city and state. Logically, a live show was expected – and despite the drums and extra instrumentation on the tape (all layered on a four-track recorder), there was no band. Over the years, seeing “Mischief Brew” on a flyer meant you were just seeing Erik Petersen with an acoustic guitar or mandolin. There was no PA in the beginning, just a roomful of West Philly’s finest rabble-rousers singing along to the “Mirth” songs. And for quite some time, this is how things stayed until it was necessary to deliver a proper recording.
“Bellingham & Philadelphia” (2003) is a split LP/CD with Washington state’s roving songcrafter Robert Blake. Meanwhile, Fistolo Records (the label Erik co-founded and runs with his wife Denise) released the “Bakenal” CDep. It was hard to believe that all the songs were recorded in the same session and split between two releases, as they were completely different experiences soundwise. “Bellingham” was more Phil Ochs/Bob Dylan-style political folk, while “Bakenal” delivered gypsy-punk swing, Poguesy drinking songs, and even a drunken tango. Two years of touring followed, from punk bars to basement shows. Meanwhile, Erik visited the studio here and there to record a few acoustic tracks for the Orphans discography (“Raise the Youth,” 2004), and the Mischief Brew “Oh Sweet Misery b/w All About the Class War” single (2005).
For an official full-length, Mischief Brew needed a non-traditional studio (by punk standards), since the songs required a more varied instrumentation to bring forth the gypsy melodies and circus beats. Impressed by the work of Israeli producer Tamir Muskat (Balkan Beat Box, Firewater, Big Lazy…), Erik visited the Brooklyn studio that he runs. Vibromonk has produced records by such festive acts as Gogol Bordello, World/Inferno Friendship Society, Firewater and more…the kind of place that knows how to mic a marimba. For this record, a backing band was assembled consisting of bass, drums, accordion, clarinet, and junk percussion. Guest appearances by Sturgeon (Leftover Crack), Peter Hess (Guignol), and Franz Nicolay (World/Inferno, The Hold Steady) bring the album even more character. “Smash the Windows” (2005) includes the folk-punk anthems “Nomads Revolt” and “Roll Me Through the Gates of Hell” – but also the epic tale “The Gypsy, The Punk, and The Fool” and the klez/ska rendition of “A Liquor Never Brewed.” The album closes with “Departure Arrival,” a sweet folk lament about leaving the comforts of home for uncharted cities and towns. “Departure” was also featured on “Up the Stairs and Through the Hall,” a 2xCD compilation of independent artists and bands from Philadelphia.
But wait, there’s more! Meanwhile, Mischief Brew released a split 7” with David Dondero (an influence on Bright Eyes) and another with -Bread & Roses (Boston-based labor folk at its best). The newest recording, “Songs from Under the Sink,” is a batch of anarcho-folk songs written between 1997-2002…finally put on LP and CD once and for all. If it had to all fit under one banner, it would read, "Carnivalesque!"
The Drunk Of Three Nights
Mischief Brew Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fire glass and dusty blinds
So I scrawled your name, then mine
Just to see them side by side
Your boss is pulling out his hair
If he only knew why you're not there
Bells and hammers break the waking day
And you look into my eyes
And say you're through with that disguise
As it's strewn beside your bed
You vow to never pull it on again
I thought I'd be a hermit forever
Can it still be so?
As long as we are together
You're like fire to pine
All the world's behind those eyes
As clocks quake and crumble in the piles
Think we're the only ones left alive
All rules seem strange and false
Each hour gone, out there seems more wrong
I'm afraid we've been inside for days
And our fear, sobriety awaits
As I look into your eyes
I wonder when we last dined on engagements
We never made, just threw them away
With one embrace
All these rules have somehow passed
All the cracks in the window glass
I'll kiss it off
The drunk off three nights
So savor these firework shards while they fly
All these firework shards while they cry
I thought I'd be a hermit forever
Can it still be so?
For now, we are together
Thought I'd be a hermit forever
Can it still be so?
For now, we are together
The lyrics for Mischief Brew’s “The Drunk Of Three Nights” paint a vivid picture of two individuals finding solace in each other’s company while escaping the mundane reality of their lives. The song begins by describing the physical space that separates the two characters from the rest of the world – a room with only a few key items, such as “fire glass and dusty blinds.” The singer then writes their names side by side, perhaps as a way of marking their temporary escape from society.
The next few lyrics reveal that the singer’s companion is skipping work to be with them, and that they are both acutely aware of how alcohol is serving as an escape from the monotony of their respective lives. However, their shared vulnerability creates a deep bond between them. The song reaches its climax when the couple declares that they never want to return to the bleak reality waiting for them outside the room.
Overall, the song can be interpreted in many ways, but its most powerful message is the importance of finding genuine human connection in a world that can often feel cold and impersonal.
Line by Line Meaning
All that's between us and the sky
There's nothing but a window blocking us from the openness of the world outside.
Fire glass and dusty blinds
The window probably isn't very clear or clean.
So I scrawled your name, then mine
We were feeling reckless and inscribed our names on the window with something.
Just to see them side by side
It was an impulsive move but seeing our names together gave us a sort of thrill.
Your boss is pulling out his hair
Your absence is stressing out your boss, but he doesn't know the truth.
If he only knew why you're not there
If your boss knew that you were with me, he'd probably be even angrier.
Bells and hammers break the waking day
The morning is noisy and chaotic with construction and commotion outside.
As sobriety carries its chains
Being sober feels more like being trapped than being liberated.
And you look into my eyes
You gaze at me intensely.
And say you're through with that disguise
You tell me that you're done pretending to be someone you're not.
As it's strewn beside your bed
You've discarded the outfit you wore when you were pretending.
You vow to never pull it on again
You make a promise to never put on that facade again.
I thought I'd be a hermit forever
I never thought I'd be with anyone else again.
Can it still be so?
Is it really possible that I've found someone?
As long as we are together
As long as we're with each other, anything is possible.
You're like fire to pine
You're like a spark that ignites something within me.
All the world's behind those eyes
I can see everything I need within you and your gaze.
As clocks quake and crumble in the piles
Time doesn't seem to matter when we're together.
Think we're the only ones left alive
It feels like no one else in the world matters but us.
All rules seem strange and false
Rules don't seem to exist in our world.
Each hour gone, out there seems more wrong
The more time that passes, the more we feel out of place in the rest of the world.
I'm afraid we've been inside for days
It feels like we've been inside hiding from the world for days now.
And our fear, sobriety awaits
We're afraid of sobering up and facing reality.
As I look into your eyes
I gaze deeply into your eyes.
I wonder when we last dined on engagements
I realize we haven't gone out on dates in a long time.
We never made, just threw them away
We always talked about plans, but never followed through with them.
With one embrace
But with one hug, everything feels right again.
All these rules have somehow passed
The rules that governed our lives before don't matter anymore.
All the cracks in the window glass
Even the flaws in our environment don't bother us.
I'll kiss it off
I'll kiss you, our connection will fix everything.
The drunk off three nights
Our drunkenness over the last three nights is what sealed our connection.
So savor these firework shards while they fly
Let's enjoy every moment we have together, even if they're fleeting.
All these firework shards while they cry
Even when they're gone, we'll treasure these memories.
I thought I'd be a hermit forever
I didn't think I'd find anyone to connect with.
Can it still be so?
Is this a dream or is it real?
For now, we are together
For now, let's enjoy our connection and worry about the future later.
Contributed by Eliana E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Violet Femme
One of Erik’s best performances on the guitar. Rest In Peace friend.
John Mullin
Love this song so much.
thành lâm
this is gold.
Kevin Emery
I'm saying, if you need a manager, I'd take you. I can't do the grammar anymore. I do land. Literally. You'd be my first band.
Hans Turbela
Mischief brew you are an absolute legend
spiders (they them)
I scrawled your name and mine, just to see them side by side...