For all press and booking inquiries please contact Bill Peterson.
The White Tornado is the piano-playing, songwriting alter ego of the mild-mannered Dr. Bill Peterson. He grew up listening to the Dr. Who theme song and sneaking into early morning jazz band practice, and honed his chops in the blues jams and funkin' jazz jams of Eastern Iowa. His music is a blend of nerd rock and synth-funk, with smart lyrics and melodies that stick in your brain. Originally a native of Marshalltown, he has lived in Iowa City and the Quad Cities, and in that time played and/or recorded with many well-known Eastern Iowa bands including The Diplomats of Solid Sound, The Johnny Kilowatt Band, The Beaker Brothers, 10 of Soul, Meteor Cat, Public Property, and The Uniphonics.
"Peterson's got a knack for writing songs whose accessibility belies their underlying rhythmic and harmonic complexity. It keeps enough whimsy in the mix to save it from going over the top. Or rather, it goes over the top and makes you like it." --Kent Williams, Little Village
"Seek Shelter is a solid, ambitious outing that offers multiple, inventive treats while marking the artist as a bona-fide talent to watch." --Jim Musser, Iowa City Press-Citizen
