FIVE FIRSTS: Pete Donnelly of The Figgs

NAME: Pete Donnelly
BAND AFFILIATION: The Figgs and Pete Donnelly & the Wise Easy,
INSTRUMENT: Guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, etc.

1. THE FIRST ALBUM I EVER BOUGHT WAS … Well, it was four records. I had just gotten my own turntable with birthday money. Steely Dan’s Greatest Hits, the Allman Brothers’ Live at Filmore East, the Who’s Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy and Led Zeppelin III.

2. THE FIRST CONCERT THAT I EVER SAW WAS … That I remember – Ray Charles at jazz fest. But maybe the Beach Boys – also at SPAC.

3. THE FIRST MUSICAL INSTRUMENT I EVER OWNED OR PLAYED WAS … Owned being the definer here – bass for my 13th birthday. I could now stop bugging my bros for their instruments. And, of course, we needed a bass player. But there was a piano in the house since I was around 9 years old.

4. THE FIRST SONG THAT I EVER PERFORMED IN PUBLIC WAS … “Salt in the Air, Past in Your Eyes”? It was one of the John Nazarenko tunes we were doing in the Initials. It was a “battle of the bands” at the Colonie Coliseum.

5. THE FIRST BAND I WAS EVER IN WAS … The Initials!

Pete Donnelly and his band The Figgs return to Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs on Friday (February 28th) along with Candy Ambulance.