We Had Fun and Nobody Died: Author Talk with Amy Waldman

Promoter Bio Lifts Curtain on Music Industry

This summer, a new biography from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press shines a light on the career of music promoter and club owner Peter Jest. The funny, irreverent, nostalgia-inducing We Had Fun and Nobody Died: Adventures of a Milwaukee Music Promoter (pub date: June 25, 2024) details how, from a young age, Jest brought national acts to the UW–Milwaukee campus, booked thousands of concerts across Wisconsin and the Midwest, and opened Shank Hall, the beloved Milwaukee venue named after a club in the cult film This Is Spinal Tap.

Author Amy T. Waldman’s compelling narrative follows Jest as he attempts to manage a turbulent band on the road, negotiates with agents, deals with fires (both real and metaphorical), and takes pleasure in presenting music of all kinds—from world-famous acts to up-and-coming local bands. The book also features stories of the lasting friendships Jest established over the years with the likes of John Prine, Arlo Guthrie, the Violent Femmes, and others.

This rollicking ride through Jest’s career is brought to life with dozens of photos, concert posters, tickets, backstage passes, and other memorabilia documenting decades of rock, folk, and alternative shows that helped put Milwaukee on the live music map. As the industry becomes increasingly dominated by profit-driven corporations, We Had Fun and Nobody Died chronicles a one-of-a-kind, fiercely independent promoter whose love of music and dedication to the artists have helped him keep it real in the music business for more than forty years.

About the Authors

Amy T. Waldman is an award-winning writer and editor who has written feature articles, reviews, profiles, and essays for a range of publications, including “Fresh Sounds,” a biweekly column of record reviews for the Marshfield News Herald. She currently works as a reference librarian at the Milwaukee Public Library.

Peter Jest has promoted music in Wisconsin and the Midwest for more than forty years and is the owner of the music venue Shank Hall in Milwaukee. This is his first book.

Advance Response to the Book

“Amy Waldman and Peter Jest weave a thrilling tale of fanhood gone pro. Dreams followed, dragons slain, and the roof of a venerable venue repeatedly blown sky-high. We’re proud to have provided the name [for Shank Hall]; it took men and women of sterner stuff to do the heavy lifting.”

—Michael McKean, actor and comedian, This Is Spinal Tap

“We Had Fun and Nobody Died is a fantastic journey of a Midwest boy, his love of music, and his excitement to be part of it all.”

—Kevn Kinney, lead singer and guitarist of Drivin N Cryin

“Peter Jest’s story is one that conveys a winning combination of friendship, determination, and entrepreneurial insights that led him to a lifelong career in support of the live music industry and the community that comes together in common appreciation of it.”

—Shana Morrison, singer-songwriter

Peter Jest, owner of Shank Hall, shares his best stories in a new memoir co-authored by Amy Waldman

Wisconsin Public Radio Interview by Lorin Cox, August 7, 2024