Bob Moss' The Ballad of Pete the Pacer

This is the aborted 1986 video installation by Kent Maxwell and Robert C. Moss of "The Ballad of Pete the Pacer." It was reworked into a single channel piece in 2003. Based on a ballad written and performed by Robert C. Moss with appearances by Max Keel and the original Pete the Pacer this piece was originally intended to be a 12 channel installation, but the funding fell through. Resurrected in 2003 for a CD fundraiser for Bob Moss at the Utah Film & Video Center, it was reworked into a single channel video by Kent.

Bob penned the original song in 1983 when he and Kent shared studio space in the Lollin building on Salt Lake City's Main Street. They noticed this guy would walk by the building every 10 minutes or so, all day long. Eventually Bob talked to him and found out his name, and a bit of his story. He was one of the "walking wounded" that Reaganomics had cast into the streets, by cutting back on funding for mental health care. Pete had nowhere to go, so he went downtown and walked, back and forth for 8 hours a day, like a job. He continued to pace Main for several years. Around 1990 he just disappeared. We don't know what happened to him. Maybe he got to back to Germany. Anyway we wish him well.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bob Moss
• Utah
• Kent Maxwell
• Max Keel
• Pete the Pacer
• video art

[creamhornpie]

He was so good. Wish I'd met him.

[nostrapajamas]

R.I.P. to a great man, someone who I really admired & was a good friend. I wish I had more time with you Bob & I love you very much.

[nostrapajamas]

He shot footage with Paris Hilton later that evening...

[ronsfi]

Hadn't thought about Pete in a very long time.

[Sooper00]

I miss this. Awesome Salt Lake.



[DirtyGirty1856]

FIRST! ...I live in Pacer Petes old house!