Larry Long & Fiddlin’ Pete Watercott’s life story is something out of a John Steinbeck novel. Throughout their early twenties they hitchhiked and hopped freight-trains throughout the West passing the hat from bar to bar, performing most anywhere that people gather. In exchange for the hospitality and generosity shown by those who helped them out along the way, Larry would write a song in their honor. The lyrics were left pinned onto their refrigerator door with a magnet before Fiddlin’ Pete and Larry headed back on the road.
In the course of their travels they joined up with bassist Larry Dalton, who they met in the High Sierra Mountain Range town of Truckee, California in 1976.
The music they perform together is deeply rooted in the American song tradition of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Hank Williams, and Bob Wills. Their live performances are an equal measure of lyrical ballads, country-swing and old time fiddle tunes woven together with threads of explosive instrumental improvisation. As the legendary Jesse Ashlock, who performed with Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys remarked, “You guys got an entirely different sound and I like it.” And then with a twinkle in his eye, replied, “After sitting and listening to you play Pete, looking back, I should have never picked up the fiddle.”
Now fifty-years later, Larry Long and Fiddlin’ Pete Watercott have come back together with bassist Larry Dalton for this 2024 Reunion Tour to celebrate five-decades of friendship. They are also releasing their new live acoustic recording entitled ‘As In Those Early Days’, which they recorded along the banks of the Mississippi Rivers through the good graces of Brett Huus, Soundstrations Audio.
We sure hope that you can join Larry Long & Fiddlin Pete Watercott on their 2024 Reunion Tour with bassist Larry Dalton.
October 13th (Sunday) Trempealeau Hotel, Trempealeau, Wisconsin 4 PM– 6 PM: Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge along with special guests ‘Big River Magazine’ Editor Reggie McCleod, ‘Storyteller & Servant Leader’ Tom Thibodeau, and ‘Brief Sermon Columnist & Songwriter’ Eddie Allen.
October 15th (Tuesday) The Commons, Viroqua, Wisconsin 7 PM – 9 PM: An evening of stories and songs with special guest ‘Community of Goodness WDRT Podcast & Radio co-host Tom Thibodeau.
October 17th (Thursday) St. Francis Campus, Little Falls, Minnesota 2:15 – 3:45
October 18th (Friday) Grassroots Concert Series, Live Well Night Club & Coffee Bar, Nisswa, Minnesota 7:30 – 9:30
October 19th (Saturday) New York Mills Cultural & Arts Center, New York Mills, Minnesota 7:30 – 9:30 PM
October 20th (Sunday) Granite City Folk Society, Bo Diddley’s, St. Cloud, Minnesota 7:00 – 9:00 PM
October 22nd (Tuesday) American School of Storytelling, Minneapolis, Minnesota 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM