Yanowitz was the original drummer of The Wallflowers, and for Natalie Merchant on her first three solo records Tigerlily, Ophelia, and Live in Concert.

He also played drums for Money Mark, the Black Sabbath tribute band Hand of Doom with Melissa Auf der Maur, and with Nina Nastasia, on her album Dogs.

Peter also performed as 'Schlatko', the drummer of The Angry Inch in the Tony award-winning Broadway musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, starring Neil Patrick Harris, Andrew Rannells, Michael C. Hall, John Cameron Mitchell, Darren Criss, and Taye Diggs.

Yanowitz was born in Chicago's Hyde Park and was raised Jewish in Salt Lake City, Utah.

[6] Yanowitz wrote the hits "Nth Degree", which was used by Lincoln-Mercury in several of their car commercials, and "New York Girls", which was featured in the movie Sex and the City.

[2] Yanowitz also played drums with Nina Nastasia in 2000 on her cult classic[10] album Dogs, which was produced by Steve Albini.

[15] Yanowitz and Trask co-wrote the rock opera This Ain't No Disco, which ran at the Atlantic Theater Company between June 30, 2018, and August 12, 2018.

[16] Yanowitz has been a member of the self-described "kaleidoscopic sound weather" trio Princess Goes to the Butterfly Museum since 2018, alongside Michael C. Hall and Matt Katz-Bohen.