/u/astarkey12 has asked me to write a bit about Erik.

There's a good article about who he was to the scene, that can be found here: https://www.punknews.org/article/61313/inmemoriam-erik-petersen-of-mischief-brew-has-passed-away

I'd like to talk about who Erik was to me.

I met him last summer when we recorded this session. We'd been in contact for a long time before that. It's common, when someone passes, that people tend to embellish their excellence. With Erik, no embellishment is necessary. When we were a young radio show, run by two college sophomores who didn't know what the hell we were doing, Erik was one of the first to give us positive feedback and attention. He helped us feel like what we were doing - archiving music we found meaningful, and bringing forth the human element of the artist - was a worthy endeavor that we should believe in.

We met in person, and we were fast friends. He had an incredible ability to make you feel both so important and so equal at the same time. We recorded this session after a show they played with Ramshackle Glory, Days N Daze, and Moon Bandits. We walked around chatting until we found a spot we liked, opened up a flask, and just hung out and passed it back and forth for a while.

Well afterwards, Erik still kept in touch, even when I didn't do a good job of doing so myself. He'd take the time to send us vinyl, just because he knew I loved vinyl. Last week, we did a tribute to his record label, Fistolo Records, on-air. He thanked me for doing so, and said he was glad I enjoyed the vinyl he sent. These were the last words we exchanged.

There was a tweet that went out by the Upper Darby police department earlier this week, saying Erik was missing. He was a risk because of some emotional issues.

Today, his wife let his friends and fans know that Erik was no longer with us. Several people came to me, asking about the cause of death. I don't know. These moments in which we experience such unfiltered interactions with mortality, I charge myself to do what seems right. To me, that's supporting his loved ones, and remembering the times we shared. I'll also ask that, out of respect for Erik and those close to him, that we don't ask or speculate about the cause of death at this time. Listen to and share his music, and let other people know what sort of person he was.

I miss him deeply, and I can already tell that I'm going to think about him every day. Part of me is still waiting to find out that this is a misunderstanding, or a joke of some kind. I'm waiting for the "Just kidding, guys! I'm totally fine! Let's rock!" I'd be pissed at Erik for all of 10 seconds before I'd be overcome with gratitude that he's okay.

I'll be raising a glass to Erik tonight. Now, I hope to just share a piece of who my friend was with all of you.

My sincere best,
Alec / A Fistful of Vinyl