May 30, 2025

209. MOBY GRAPE’S DON STEVENSON & PETER LEWIS DOUBLE-HEADER (PART 1: SELF-TITLED & WOW) (GRAPE EXPECTATIONS EPISODE 3)

2 hours 17 minutes

Episode 3 of our Grape Expectations Series features two—count ‘em, TWO SEPARATE INTERVIEWS with drummer Don Stevenson and guitarist Peter Lewis, each of whom gives their own Rashomon-like perspective on the fascinating early part of Moby Grape’s career. Disastrous tours, lawsuits, police busts, horribly nefarious managers, a fake touring version of the band, mysterious black magic witches, and drug-induced madness. And, no joke—that’s just within the band’s first two years.

The first episode of my conversations with both Don & Peter features both men discussing their first two records, the self-titled debut and Wow, right up to when Skip had his breakdown.

Here’s just a few of the many things that Don & Peter both separately discuss with Discograffiti in Part 1 of our conversation:

How the band initially coalesced;

The early days finding their sound at The Ark;

How the major label feeding frenzy over the band wound up impacting them;

Don’s infamous front cover middle finger;

An in-depth discussion of their legendary self-titled debut;

The steep downhill slide that began literally on the night of their launch party;

And the time Skip broke down crying in the studio when the reaction to his new song wasn’t as he’d expected.

Then, for good measure, Peter drops a bomb at the end of the whole thing.

Listen: linktr.ee/discograffiti

I support a wife and a six-year-old son with Discograffiti as my sole source of income.

If you’re a Moby Grape & Skip Spence superfan like me, The Director’s Cut of this episode is ad-free and features A WHOPPING 52 ADDITIONAL MINUTES of essential material.

Purchase The Director’s Cut as a one-off at Patreon.com/Discograffiti.

Purchase the full Grape Expectations Collection: https://www.patreon.com/collection/1467935

Subscribe to Discograffiti’s Patreon at the Major Tier and receive a ceaseless barrage (4 shows a week) of must-hear binge-listening: Patreon.com/Discograffiti

CONNECT

Join our Soldiers of Sound Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1839109176272153

Patreon: www.Patreon.com/Discograffiti

Podfollow: ⁠⁠https://podfollow.com/1592182331⁠⁠

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClyaQCdvDelj5EiKj6IRLhw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/discograffitipod/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Discograffiti/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Discograffiti

Order the Digital version of the METAL MACHINE MUZAK 2xLP (feat. Lou Barlow, Cory Hanson, Mark Robinson, & W. Cullen Hart): www.patreon.com/discograffiti/shop/197404

Order the $11 Digital version of the MMM 2xLP on Bandcamp: https://discograffiti.bandcamp.com/album/metal-machine-muzak

Order the METAL MACHINE MUZAK Double Vinyl + Digital package: www.patreon.com/discograffiti/shop/169954

Merch Shop: https://discograffitipod.myspreadshop.com/all

Venmo Dave A Tip: @David-Gebroe

Web site: http://discograffiti.com/

CONTACT DAVE

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hooligandave

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidgebroe/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaveGebroe

There is no other Patreon in existence where you get more for your money. 4 shows a week is what it takes these days to successfully blot out our unacceptable reality…so do yourself a favor and give it a shot for at least one month to see what I’m talking about.

If you’re already a member, please comment below about your experience.

www.Patreon.com/discograffiti

#mobygrape #sanfrancisco #sixties #billgraham #fillmorewest #gordonstevens #doobiebrothers #weirdherald #billydeanandrus #donstevenson #peterlewis #bobmosley #jerrymiller #robertplant #skipspence #avalonballroom #familydog #thebyrds #jeffersonairplane #matthewkatz #camcobb #bellevue #jormakaukonen #discograffiti #metalmachinemuzak #soldiersofsound #grapeexpectations #thematrix #martybalin #omarspence

...more

View all episodes

By David Gebroe

4.3

116116 ratings