Pete Sawyer is a songwriter, vocalist, guitarist and producer based in Santa Cruz, Ca. Sawyer is known for his kinetic songwriting, distinctive electric guitar style and soulful vocals that have been prominently featured in bands Seconds On End, Echo Street, Brightshine and Pete Sawyer and The Left Hand Monkey Wrench Gang. Pete saw his first Grateful Dead show during his senior year of college by catching 3 nights at the Richfield Coliseum in 1991 and his life path was set from then on! He went to as many shows as possible, including having seen Jerry play live over 50 times from ‘91-’95 with the GD and JGB and continued on seeing all of the post-Garcia GD incarnations and solo projects of the GD members. In 2003, Pete published his doctoral dissertation entitled “The Ritual Structure and Spiritual Nature of the Grateful Dead Experience” and embarked on the life of a professional musician with a focus of recording and performing his original compositions. 2001-2011 he performed throughout Northern California with his band Seconds On End, a jam band with a focus on strong songwriting and arrangements and following the dissolution of that project, he formed a Reggae/Funk band called Echo Street with former Damien ‘Jr Gong’ Marley guitarist, Jason Bryant. Today Pete can be found playing in his band Brightshine, an improvisational outfit influenced by Dire Straits, Pink Floyd and The Grateful Dead. Since 2019 he formed Pete Sawyer and The Left Hand Monkey Wrench Gang. Pete Sawyer & The Left Hand Monkey Wrench Collaborators: Jeremy Hoenig (Phil Lesh, JGB), Scott Guberman (Phil Lesh, Live Dead ‘69), Sunshine Becker (Bob Weir and Phil Lesh’s Further, JGB), Reed Mathis (Billy Kreutzman. Mickey Hart), Ezra Lipp (Phil Lesh, ALO), Mark Karan (Ratdog, Phil Lesh and Friends, The Other Ones), Pete Lavezzoli (Phil Lesh, Oteil and Friends), Nate LaPointe (Cubensis, Bobby Womack), James Nash (Bob Weir, Phil Lesh), John-Paul McLean (JGB, Chuck Prophet), Murph Murphy (Stul Allen, Poor Man’s Whiskey), Eric Levy (Garage Mahal, Night Ranger), Jeanette Ferber (Phil Lesh, Stu Allen), Kara Cavanaugh (Terrapin Flyer, Melvin Seals), Jordan Feinstein (Phil Lesh, Stu Allen), Celso Alberti (Steve Winwood, Airto), Sean Nelson (Phil Lesh, Stu Allen), Danny Eisenberg (Phil Lesh, Ryan Adams), Mark Corsolini (Dark Star Orchestra, JGB)... Upcoming shows 12/1 Tabard Theatre, San Jose, 8pm The Gang: Jeremy Hoenig, John-Paul McLean, Zach Jones, Pat Blizenski and Jenifer Freebairn. Tickets: https://tabard.vbotickets.com/event/Pete_Sawyer_and_the_Left_Hand_Monkey_Wrench_Gang/96414 12/31 A Grateful New Years Eve Celebration, Jerry Knights River Theater, Guerneville, 8:30 The Gang: Scott Guberman, Alex Jordan, John-Paul McLean, Sean Nelson, and Jenifer Freebairn Steve Pile and special guests open the evening with Acoustic Jerry Tunes. Tickets: https://LHMWGNYE23.eventbrite.com 1/12/24 Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz Pete Sawyer & The Left Hand Monkey Wrench Gang and Brightshine The Gang: Eric Levy, Nate LaPointe, Murph Murphy, Anna Elva, and Jenifer Freebairn. Nate LaPointe (Cubensis, Bobby Womack) Eric Levy (Garaj Mahal, Night Ranger) Anna Elva (Mark Karan, Stu Allen) Murph (Stu Allen, Poor Man's Whiskey) Jenifer Freebairn (Woodworkers, Aardvark) Tickets: lhmwgkuumbwa112.eventbrite.com Outro: Greatest Story Ever Told by GD Money For Nothing by Dire Straits, YouTube LIve at Knebworth Dark Star by GD 3/29/90 Nassau Coliseum w/ Branford Marsalis on saxophone The Days Between by GD 12/11/94 Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, Ca Dear Mr Fantasy by GD 7/2/89 Sullivan Stadium, Foxboro, Ma Scarlet -> Fire by GD 9/4/91 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, Oh New Days by Brightshine Estimated Prophet by Pete Sawyer & The Left Handed Monkey Wrench Gang @ The Sweetwater Garage Mahal Live at The Independent in Sf, Ca
