Tommy Washbush
After four decades of performing, Lou and Peter Berryman want to kick back just a smidge.
At a special event on Sept. 24 at the Brink Lounge, the Madison-based comedic folk duo will release a new, expanded edition of their songbook — and it may be their last.
The Berrymans, whose friendship “survived a brief marriage,” as they put it, are looking forward to spending less time touring nationally.
“While we both want to pursue other projects, we both also just want to quit working all the time,” says Lou. “Making music pretty much full-time for 40 years has been a wonderful and unforeseen gift, but it is fabulous to stay home and do nothing, too.”
Lou and Peter, accordion and guitar, respectively, began performing together while they were both in high school in Appleton, rotating through several instruments and several bands. Since settling on a duo act, they’ve appeared on A Prairie Home Companion, performed at hundreds of folk festivals and clubs and released more than a dozen albums. Their work has been performed by artists ranging from Garrison Keillor to Peggy Seeger, half-sister of the late folk superstar, Pete Seeger.
“We’re both turning 70 next year, and travel is becoming a less enjoyable thrill-ride for us,” says Peter. “But we still love to play and will keep on keeping on, though closer to home. We also have other interests that we are champing at the bit to pursue.”
One of these is creating works for the stage. Madison Repertory Theatre, now defunct, produced a musical based on their work in 2004, called Love Is the Weirdest of All. Another musical revue, More Later, was performed at New York’s Cornelia Street Café in 2014.
They both also want time to explore visual art. “I want to make videos and animations for our music,” says Peter. “And we want to spend as much time as we can with our spouses. Then there’s the leaking basement, the bad porch step, the dusty refrigerator coil....”
The Berryman songbook captures four decades of sly songwriting.
And, of course, there’s the business of selling Lou & Peter’s Big Songbook. It’s a massive updated edition, square-bound, packed full of Peter’s whimsical artwork and occasional commentary. In addition to many new songs, it serves as something of a scrapbook of their long collaboration.
“This third edition contains something like 25 new songs since edition one, with new illustrations and additional info where there’s room,” notes Peter. “The first edition had a measly 287 pages; this one has a fun-filled jam-packed 330.”
It includes Lou and Peter classics such as “Your State’s Name Here,” “Dem Deer” and “Up in Wisconsin,” with the following lyrics:
If you’re gonna spend your yule here
Or you plan to stay a school year,
It’s a lovely place you’ve chosen,
If you like your hinder frozen.
They jointly created the songbook. “Lou is the music genius of the band, notating and figuring chords for all 220 songs,” says Peter. “Some of our songs are weirdly complicated, so this was a goofy challenge. She has written almost all of these melodies, so she has no one but herself to blame.”
Besides writing lyrics and the book’s commentary, Peter designed the complete publication, including its font, which they’ve named Ellen Peebe, “a phonetic stab at our initials,” says Peter.
“I assume people will use this songbook like they’ve used the previous ones,” he adds. “We’ve had many folks tell us they have it beside their bed or on their coffee table or out in the duck blind or welding shed, and just pick it up and read random pages for the heck of it.”
The songbook release celebration and concert will be Sat., Sept. 24, 7:30 p.m., at the Brink Lounge. The songbook sells for $30, but will be available for $20 at the concert.
