“As he sings and muses in his rich, storytime voice, the effect is like scooting up to some timeless fireside where Mulvey is both smiling storyteller and squinting thinker and you’re the kid sitting at his knee eager to hear more.”....

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/newton/articles/2009/11/19/globe_west_arts_folksinger_mulvey_two_wheels_his_way_to_new_vocal_power/....

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Thursday, November 19, 2009....

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Folk’s Mulvey taps new vocal power....

By Denise Taylor....

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Scratch the stuffy tour bus and the rental cars. Folk music favorite Peter Mulvey has found a better way to get around. For his recent 1,100-mile “Long Haul’’ concert tour, he sat down on his recumbent bicycle and pedaled his way to each and every gig. The trip, which lasted most of September, took him from Wisconsin to Massachusetts at a rate of about 40 to 100 miles per day. And yes, he strapped his guitar to the back of his bike. But Mulvey is matter-of-fact about the feat. “It’s just fun to bike to work, even if work is 1,000 miles away,’’ he said.....

Now that it’s colder, Mulvey will be driving to his gig Saturday at the Amazing Things Arts Center in downtown Framingham. But the audience will still get to witness a musical side effect of all that pedaling. Mulvey’s already gorgeous, beefy baritone is now powered by a set of powerful lungs. “The voice is a physical instrument, and I’ve never had such a strong year as this one. Since I started cycling, I’m just in better shape, and everyone who knows my voice has been commenting on how much richer it sounds,’’ said Mulvey. “I guess that’s what comes with greater lung capacity and from having a bigger heart.’’....

Mulvey, a veteran of the Boston folk scene now living in Wisconsin, is out promoting his August release, “Letters From a Flying Machine.’’ The CD is more than just a mix of Mulvey’s always masterfully crafted songs. Yes, you get his airy, acoustic guitar riffs, his Tin Pan Alley-tinged tunes, his easy wit, and his gently rumbling, smoky vocals. But the CD and his show also unfold as one coherent journey, which is framed by Mulvey reading four letters that touch on life, love, and, say, what da Vinci might have thought about MP3 players. ....

Mulvey wrote these high-altitude musings to his nieces and nephews while flying in jet planes, and performs them with recorded sound effects: jet engine hums, piped-in music, and so on. As he sings and muses in his rich, storytime voice, the effect is like scooting up to some timeless fireside where Mulvey is both smiling storyteller and squinting thinker and you’re the kid sitting at his knee eager to hear more. “The topic is the topic I’ve been circling around for 20 years,’’ said Mulvey. “It’s about time and love. Love, which only happens in time. It’s what matters, and I’m going to go out on a limb and say time and love are what all songwriters are ultimately writing about.’’....

After Saturday’s show, Mulvey will fly to Alaska for a few gigs, but next fall he plans to return to touring on two wheels.....

“It’s just beautiful to be out in the fresh air propelling yourself under your own power. Any errand I can run on the bike, I do on the bike now,’’ he said. “And I intend to keep bicycle-touring now every September.’’....

Peter Mulvey, 8 p.m. Saturday at Amazing Things Arts Center, 160 Hollis St., Framingham. Tickets: $20; students, seniors $19; members $17. Opening act: Natalia Zukerman. 508-405-2787, www.amazingthings.org, www.petermulvey.com...
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http://green-reviewer.blogspot.com/2009/10/peter-mulvey-wrapped-long-haul-tour-and.html....

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Green Leaf Reviewer blog....

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Peter Mulvey Wrapped the Long Haul Tour and is Relaxing Back Home ....

Posted by Jenn at 7:22 PM Labels: bicycle, bike, eco-conscious, musician, Peter Mulvey, tour on a bike ....

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Back in September, musician Peter Mulvey set out on his bicycle along with a few other dedicated individuals to bring his music 1100 miles across the northeast United States. Now that he has been home for a while we caught up on how the tour went and more importantly, how he held up after such a lengthy journey in just seventeen days.

I asked him -- What was it like biking across 1100 miles of the United States? Peter was happy to oblige my curious questions and I hope everyone enjoys learning a little more about this talented guy’s environmental dedication, regardless of how modest he is about the accomplishment.

Is this the longest bike tour you have done so far?
By far. The first two bike tours were under 500 miles, this one was over 1,100.

Was this the first year you had company for the entire ride?
Yes- there were five of us almost the whole way, Brianna, Heidi, Josh, and Andy. The camaraderie was great.

How did you get yourself ready to do such a long ride?
Pretty simple- I rode 800 miles in June and another 900 in August. Luckily my work hours are flexible enough that I had the time.

How did your fans respond? Were they taking photos of the bike?
I didn't usually bring the bike to shows- it was usually back at the hotel. Really, in some ways the biking part of this wasn't that big of a deal- it was fun to talk about, and joke about, but in the end I was just commuting to work like anybody else, except for the high mileage.

Did you get a chance to sight see at all along the journey?
Of course. Especially on a recumbent, you can't help but sight-see. You're sitting back, looking at everything. We didn't have any slack time, though- when you have 140 miles to go, and you know it will take from sunup to sundown, you really can't just follow a sign that says "Scenic Overlook 4 miles Thataway."

What is one thing did you wish you could have carried with you on the bike but didn't?
A book. I wouldn't have had time anyway, but it felt weird to travel without a book.

Is this something you plan to do every year?
Until they stop me.

How far around the country are you willing to go?
Next year I'm interested in combining rail travel with bicycling. I figure that's a fresh new concept. Maybe it'll catch on in, say, Europe.

Most importantly, how do your legs feel now that it is done?
Well, they feel strong. My knees hurt a little bit during the mountain climbs, but overall my body held up very well.

What was your greatest challenge riding so far (geographically speaking)?
The Green Mountains in Vermont and the hills in New Hampshire. That was tough, especially on a recumbent.

What was your greatest accomplishment of the journey?
Just doing it. It's one thing to say, in the winter, "I'll be biking 1,100 miles this September." It's another thing to actually do it.

To pick up any of Peter’s CDs feel free to visit his website.....