Under the radar

Tom Peloso is lean, scruffy and dressed in work clothes as he strides purposefully down Fifth Street.

To the casual observer, it would make sense that he is squatting in a fixer-upper home in downtown Lynchburg. What’s not apparent is that he is a crucial member in one of the biggest indie rockbands in the country, Modest Mouse.

The multi-instrumentalist has, along with several other artists and musicians, found a unique potential in Lynchburg that is disappearing elsewhere.

“Lynchburg is one of the only places I have found that a person could be working a minimum wage job, be it construction or a Wal-Mart cashier, and still live the American dream,” he says.

His new city will be the first stop on his short Central Virginia tour with his new band, the Virginia Sheiks. They will play tonight at Starlight Café. 

Peloso has purchased a home within walking distance of Main Street and plans on doing much of the work to renovate the place himself. The tricky part is finding the time necessary for renovation while pursuing his musical endeavors.

In late 2002, Peloso — then touring with his band, The Hackensaw Boys — was asked to play on Modest Mouse’s upcoming record, “Good News For People Who Love Bad News.” It was this record, based on the strength of the single, “Float On,” that catapulted Modest Mouse from a cult college-radio band to a household name.

Peloso became a full-time member of the band before 2007’s “We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank,” which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard.

“We Were Dead” has since gone platinum, and Peloso has played trumpet, keys, chimes, upright bass and other instruments at sold-out Modest Mouse shows around the world.

A mid-career indie rock star settling in Lynchburg might seem like a stretch, but Peloso has been a Central Virginian most of his life. Having come of age in Waynesboro, Peloso fondly remembers trips to his local record store where he was encouraged by the owner to keep broadening his musical taste. From the Dead Kennedys to the Beatles, Hank Williams to Iron Maiden, Peloso devoured popular music while honing his skills on the bass and guitar.

College at VCU brought Peloso to Richmond, where he played in King Sour, an instrumental post-punk outfit. In 1999, while living in Charlottesville, Peloso helped start The Hackensaw Boys, an energetic Americana band that melded old-time bluegrass with quirky punk stylings.

As “Pee Paw” Hackensaw, Peloso and the band gained attention from Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock. A 2002 tour with Modest Mouse was enough for Peloso to build relationships that would eventually lead to him leave the Hackensaws in order to join Modest Mouse.

Peloso is currently a full-time member of Modest Mouse but has been working on a solo musical project under his own name. An amalgamation of previous band experiences, his soon-to-be-released first record, “The Last Saturday of the Year,” is equal parts folk, singer-songwriter-pop and experimental guitar rock. Peloso recorded 11 tracks with friends from a variety of backgrounds and bands (the Fugs, Elliot Smith, Hickey and the Stratler Brothers).

Peloso recently sat down with me at Speakertree Records to talk about how life in Lynchburg suits his taste and supports his work, his music and the vagaries of getting Modest Mouse singles. (below)

Questions with Tom Peloso
You have been “partially” living in downtown Lynchburg for some time now. What attracted you to this city?
The opportunity to start at ground zero and build community. I came to the realization that Lynchburg is one of the only places I have found that a person could be working a minimum wage job and still live the American dream. The key is living within your means, and here you can do that and still make your art. I have always basically squatted in houses and worked on fixing them up, which is what I have been doing here. I have a primitive on-site living situation.

Your new solo musical project seems to pull from your past musical experiences (with the Hackensaw Boys and Modest Mouse) and tie much of it together. Would you say that this is your truest musical voice?
Absolutely. There is a definite rock aspect that is very apparent in the live show, but also a folk element as well. I look at this as a lifework or a diary based on my experiences. My role in the Hackensaw Boys was centered around the character “Pee Paw” Hackensaw. It was an act, a persona. There are also aspects of Modest Mouse that have come into this project. But with Modest Mouse, I am a member of the band, I am not really steering the ship and I’m cool with that, but it has made me realize that I like the role of being a creative musical force.

The new live band is the Virginia Sheiks. Is this Lynchburg performance your first live show?
Yes, actually. The Sheiks are a five-piece band (including Peloso), and the Starlight show will be our first with all five of us playing live together. We then take the show on a little Central Virginia tour playing in Richmond and then Charlottesville.

How long have you been with Modest Mouse, and does that connection help the reception of your solo work?
I have been with Modest Mouse for a while now. I started playing with them in late 2002 when recording for “Good News (for People that Love Bad News),” but I was not an official member until three or four years ago. I definitely would not be able to do solo work in its current capacity without the experiences and connections that Modest Mouse has given me.

What are you currently listening to?
Ukranian folk music and Texan-Mexican folk music based around accordian, electric bass, snare and baho (a 12-string guitar-like instrument). They are from the Smithsonian Folkways compillations. Also Mount Egypt. That record is pretty darn good.

Lastly, those new Modest Mouse singles (7” records) that are coming out every month, they are extremely limited and selling out instantly. Do you get some of those?
Yeah, they send me a few. Would you like one?

starlight anniversary/
bittersweet grand opening
WHEN: Tonight, 6 p.m. to midnight (rain or shine)
WHERE: 512-514 Fifth St., in the courtyard between Starlight and Bittersweet
PERFORMING: Tom Peloso from Modest Mouse, David Sickmen from the Hackensaw Boys and special guests Sarah White & Becca Mancari
Note:  Bring lawn chairs