Possum Family Singers

As of March 2020 the Possum Family Singer wandered on their separate ways. This is an archive of our trajectory–see the latest posts and updates for some of the members still performing around the SF Bay Area and beyond. All information below is history.

The POSSUM FAMILY SINGERS–“Sweethearts of the Starry Plough Saturday Happy Hour” since 2009– on stage at the Starry Plough Pub, 5 ’til 7 PM on the FIRST AND THIRD Saturday of each month.

A Berkeley institution since 1973, the Pub is at 3101 Shattuck Avenue on the Berkeley-Oakland border, 2 blocks from Ashby Bart station.

The POSSUM FAMILY SINGERS mix up Americana, Folk, Rock, and originals with Ann Wright on banjo, guitar, fiddle and cello, Laurie Miller on bass, Art Peterson on accordion, guitar, banjo, and ukelele, and Kurt Regas with original compositions on guitar and hamonica- and Matt Parker with original tunes on guitar and mandolin–-and all on vocals and harmonies.

For bookings, call Art Peterson 925-768-9047

Visit Matt, Laurie, Art, and the Lost Hippies–5-7 PM on 1st Thursdays of each month at the Starry Plough Lost Hippy Hour.  Roger Brown and Leslie Thorne bring the Out-of-Town Couple on 2nd Thursdays.  Wildcat Canyon, with Art, Laurie, and often a guest fiddle, appear on 3rd Thursday.   Laurie Miller and singer/songwriter Joan Van Hulle appear as the Var Mints on 4th Thursdays.  Art Peterson and the Polka Cowboys appear on 5th Thursdays, with Greg Pratt on guitar and Fiddle Ray Landsberg.

HISTORY

Following on the implosion of two bands–the Cavepainters Thursday happy hour jam, and the Silver Kittens– in November of 2009, remaining members were invited to take on Saturday happy hour at the Starry Plough, and in searching for a suitable transition animal, the Possum Family Singers was born.

After the Sudden, Untimely Demise of Steve Soliah in early 2013, the Possum Family Singers wandered bereft, three-legged, until Art Peterson joined on accordion, finger-pickin guitar, banjo and vocals, adding a western-swing and old-timey flavor.

Laurie Miller has been drumming and singing with various local Bay Area rock, thrash and show bands beginning in the summer of 1979.  Laurie picked up and taught herself bass guitar in 1991.

Ann Wright has studied voice and Opera, plays banjo, guitar, classical guitar, cello, violin and mandolin, writes a bit, and sings, and haunts the folky jams of the area searching for tunes.

Art Peterson began playing accordion at age 8, guitar and banjo in his teens, toured Europe and the US as a banjo- and guitar-picking solo act and as founding member of Those Darn Accordions.  He also appearing with The Woody Guthrie Show, and Charlie Blacklock’s Band– thus somehow finding himself President of the International Musical Saw Association, which holds a yearly festival at Roaring Camp, in Felton CA. (artpeterson.com)

 

 

&

Some things we do–songs come and go–some added here and there- some may be lost to time-

attributions courtesy the google machine

Across The Great Divide–Kate Wolf

All of Me–Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons
Baby Blue–Bob Dylan
Blue, Blue Day–Don Gibson
Blue Eyed Boston Boy–trad/Bob Dylan
City of New Orleans–Steve Goodman
Cold and Lonely–Slaid Cleaves
Crawdad Song–trad/ Woody Guthrie
Crescent City–Lucinda Williams
Deep Water–Bob Wills
Do You Wanna Dance–Bobby Freeman
Fallen–Steve Soliah

Glory of Love–Billy Hill

Gold Watch and Chain– Carter Family

Hard Times–Stephen Foster
Here in California- Kate Wolf

I’ll Fly Away–Rev. Gary Davis
I Am Weary–
I Believe in You- Neil Young
If I Left You–Kelly Willis
I Just Wanna Dance with You–John Prine
I Still Miss Someone–Johnny Cash
Jambalaya–Hank Williams
Kathy’s Song–Paul Simon
Little Red Wagon–Rex Griffin
Lone Prairie–Carson Robison
Longhorn Stomp –Adolph Hofner
Long Lonely Day–Marty Robbins
Long Way Home–Tom Waits
Long White Cadillac–Dwight Yokum
Louis Collins–Mississippi John Hurt
Love Gone Wrong–Steve Soliah

Loving Arms–Tom Jans
Lydia–Karen Poston

Mama’s Hand–Hazel Dickens
Miss Molly–Cindy Walker
One More Dollar–Gillian Welch
Orphan Girl–Gillian Welch
Orphan of the Storm–Tom Petty
Pistol Packin’ Mama–Al Dexter
Red Red Wine–Neil Diamond
Red Trains–Miller/Torres
Rock Salt and Nails–U Utah Phillips
Saint James Hospital–Doc Watson

Scare Easy –Tom Petty
Side of the Road–Lucinda Williams
Still I Long (for your kiss)–Lucinda Williams
Sweet Carolina–Ryan Adams

Time Changes Everything –Tommy Duncan
Walk Away Renee–Michael Brown
When the Line–Steve Soliah
Winter’s Come n Gone–Gillian Welch/Ann Wright
Won’t You Come Sing for Me–Hazel Dickens
You Don’t Miss your Water–William Bell
Your Town Now–Greg Brown

KUDOS

“Laurie Miller sings a country ballad better ‘n anybody.  Her voice is right up there with Hank Williams” –Jean Hooker

Thanks to our sound system provided by zt of berkeley–the monster amp in a lunchbox, and PhilJonesBass amp.