By Greg Pahl
PossumHaw will be performing at Carol’s Hungry Mind Café located at 24 Merchants Row in Middlebury on Friday, at 7:30 p.m.
PossumHaw has been playing original bluegrass and country-folk songs around northern Vermont since they formed in 2004. Songwriter Colby Crehan’s strong country-tinged voice grabs listeners with lyrical verses and unique melodies.
Charley Eiseman adds precise flat-picking and finger-picking styles, Ryan Crehan brings the distinctive bluegrass flavor with his Scruggs-style banjo playing and Monkton’s Justin May drives the energy with his mandolin. More recently, Colby Crehan has also joined The Bluegrass Gospel Project as the female vocalist.
PossumHaw’s first album, “Split-Rail,” was released in 2005. Their second album, “Madtom,” was recently released.
The Rutland Herald says: “…the vocals of Colby Crehan rival the likes of Rani Arbo and Patti Casey. And the band is right there behind her musically, with some great vocal harmonies to boot. ...I’d recommend this disc to anyone who enjoys...that bluegrass/ gospel/“newgrass” sound.”
Robert Resnick of Seven Days adds: “One of the CD’s outstanding features is that it demonstrates how well the band knows their genres: when a song is meant to sound high and lonesome or bluegrass bop, it delivers.…many of the PossumHaw originals feature compelling stories strengthened by riveting musical arrangements.”
“Colby’s voice is front-porch real and otherworldly sweet, singing her mountain styled songs without a twang,” says Michael Devlin of Music Matters Review. “The voices of the men in the band blend well with each other and Colby, giving PossumHaw depth and variety to the sonic palette. Sweet New England bluegrass!”
There is a $10 cover charge for the performance, kids are admitted free. For information, call: 388-0101.
TWO BROTHERS TAVERN
There will be four live musical performances this week at the Two Brothers Tavern located at 86 Main St. in Middlebury. That’s right, four.
On Wednesday, the tavern presents The Grift with a tribute show, beginning at 9 p.m. There is no cover. Then, on Thursday, the tavern presents Pale Moon featuring an evening of rock jam music beginning at 9 p.m. It’s also free.
Then, on Friday, at 10 p.m., the tavern presents The Starline Rhythm Boys. This is Rockabilly at its best. These cats are the “real deal” with their high-energy playing, flamboyant showmanship, and high lonesome and hot rockin’ sound. There is a $3 cover charge.
Finally on Saturday, The Horse Traders will offer an evening of rock, beginning at 10 p.m. There is a $3 cover. For more information, call 388-0002.
LIVE MUSIC AT THE B&C
The Ball & Chain Café in the Briggs Carriage House Bookstore in Brandon will feature John Bryant on Friday at 7 p.m. This pianist extraordinaire revisits the café for an evening of wonderful musical delight as he performs music ranging from ragtime to Rachmaninoff, from blues to Beethoven, from lullabies to Liszt, and perhaps a little Vince Guaraldi as well.
Come listen to some beautiful tunes for a late August night. The performance is free. The Briggs Carriage House Bookstore is located at 16 Park St. in Brandon. Call 247-0050 for additional information.