Pezzettino Goes to Camp (aka Brooklyn)

Image by Matt Schwenke, courtesy MySpace

Love her or hate her, Margaret Stutt, aka Pezzettino, has spent her brief musical career doing whatever the hell she wants, and now, she wants to live in Brooklyn for a while. Following in the footsteps of fellow Milwaukee expats French Horn Rebellion and former Modern Machines Nate Disgusting and Danny Kielbasa (who formed the Used Kids in Brooklyn only to swiftly break up), Margaret has some specific goals for her upcoming time in NYC. Fan-Belt spoke to Margaret via email before this Saturday’s farewell performance at the Eagle’s Nest on Center Street in Riverwest, with North Carolina’s The Hellblinki Sextet and locals John McLaughlin and the Rogues.

Obvious first question: Why Brooklyn? To be honest, it feels like almost a bit of a cliche’; moving to the big, hip city to “make it” or something. What factored into your decision?

Oh man, you’re really putting me through the ringer! Simply, I’m moving to Brooklyn because I have a lot to learn. Consider it like sending me off to boot camp. Send me cookies! There is so much creative capital to absorb from the high concentration of artists and performers. Imagine me going there with workbooks, pencils, and loose-leaf paper. I’m in training. The public transportation is a definite plus, as are the clubs with baby grand pianos.

If there is one weakness I have (and believe me, I only have one weakness), it’s wanting to perform constantly. New York doesn’t sleep, and I was able to play Tuesday shows with respectable attendance in a city that doesn’t know me. It was like being a kid in a candy store… every night I could be out playing music, meeting people or investigating the limitless cultural landscape. It felt like I was on tour even though I went home to the same couch every night. I want to be there, constantly discovering and exploring, while having the stabilizing day-job to keep things afloat.

You’ve been a real road warrior during your time in Milwaukee. Do you anticipate being able to spend as much time on the road with a home base in Brooklyn?

Not at all—or at least, not until fall. There is plenty to keep me occupied in Brooklyn, and it will be good for me to sit tight in one city, make some money while I gig out at night.

One of the things that’s been fascinating for me about your brief music career has been your transparency: through interviews, your Twitter account, etc, you’ve brought your followers along on your journey as you’ve sort of learned as you’ve gone, and it’s been really fascinating watching you very publicly learn and grow as an artist. Do you see this continuing in the big city, or do you feel like you may have to adjust how you’ve communicated with your fans?

An apple is still in apple even if it’s in an orange grove. Isn’t that what they say? I don’t know any other way than to be overly transparent! We’re all people here, at least that’s the assumption. Might as well just cut the crap and be honest with each other.

How often to you expect to come back and visit? You will come back and visit us, won’t you?

Oh dear, I already miss Milwaukee and I haven’t even left yet. To be honest I’m very sad to leave the lake, but excited to roll up my sleeves and get to work in gritty Brooklyn. My heart (oh, my heart! Let’s talk about my heart!) is in Milwaukee, I could never stay away for too long.

Saturday’s Pezzettino goodbye show starts at 7 PM.