Sing along and dance til’ you drop with SOUL POSSE, playing everywhere near you

SOUL POSSE Keeps on Playing

Author’s Note: A good way to not make a positive first impression is to walk into an interview and tell the band you’re interviewing them because they’re old. Luckily for me, they laughed!

You might think SOUL POSSE is all in capital letters because they have some kind of ego problem. Not true at all. The band is cordial, funny, and intelligent. No ego problems here. The reason SOUL POSSE is all caps is due to copyright infringement. It seems there was a country band—yes, country—already named Soul Posse, so Chico’s SOUL POSSE had to avoid a problem, and a simple method was to capitalize. That news is probably a first for most of us.

Initially billed as the Road Rockets years back, SOUL POSSE sprang out of a house band at the Italian Garden in Paradise. The current line-up is composed of Valerie “Sugar” St. George, vocals and keytar (an instrument with an electronic keyboard made to look like a guitar); Andrew Wong, guitar and vocals; Richard Braley, drums; and Nelson “Rev” Corwin, harmonica and vocals. SOUL POSSE is a tremendously talented and experienced group who plays a wide variety of music, but it seems classic rock is still their song of choice.

“We like to play to suit the audience,” said Sugar. “We can play rock and country as well as a variety of classic rock styles,” she added. Included in the rotation is world dance, R’n’B, reggae, disco, and a number of the band's own compositions.

“We are definitely a democratic minded band,” said Rev. “We rotate songs and who has vocals. Everybody has their spotlight moment, and we want everyone to sound as good as they can.”

To achieve that great sound, SOUL POSSE’s sets are full of high energy songs. They also encourage audience sing-alongs to get the excitement level up, and with the year-long hiatus due to COVID, the group says it is easy to get the audience moving because everyone is ready to get up and rock. “We want everyone to lose their worries and dance through it,” said Drew. “People are primed to get up and let go.”

No matter what they’re playing, the audience still responds the best to classic rock and roll. “Rock and roll is not dead,” said Richard. “Good old rock and roll, there’s nothing like it.” And over a three night set, SOUL POSSE can crank out more than 100 songs without duplication. That’s a ton of music, and they will have the opportunity to utilize their entire library of music this summer. They have a number of gigs lined up into July, and if you’d like to book the band, check out their Facebook or call (530) 828-8040.

For sure go out and see them play. You will not be disappointed.

By Kevin Dolan

I have long had students come to me with an array of troubles and problems. In time, this turned into young adults asking me out for “coffee” with similar wants and needs. Often, the need was nothing more than help in making a crucial decision. My answer, as disconcerting as it was, was always for them to understand that decisions have a way of making themselves. At the time, disappointment emerged from their entire being, which later turned into a huge, “Thank you,” when they explained to me just how the decision indeed took care of itself. Decisions, however, are much different than problems, troubles, or tender situations. For any and all of these types of conversations, I open with the fact that I do not own a crystal ball or a magic wand. I also make it clear that I do not engage in matters of the heart. I go on to say furthermore, these two things could be helpful in resolving their individual predicament. It appears important to pause, and point out the result of using either—or both—comes with many negative possibilities. My urging to each solution begins with the phrase, “Tell the truth and point to hope.” Understandably, this is an especially difficult thing to do, just like leaving decisions to reveal their own answer. Also, the truth, inexplicably, seems to serve the intended purpose of telling it.

So, let's get back to this whole crystal ball and magic wand thing. The real truth is, as a teacher, I most assuredly had a magic wand. The power, the certainty of waving it and mumbling a magical phrase, was daunting at best. I mean, after all, wouldn’t it be better to leave the abra to its own cadabra? Not unlike magic’s deceptive ways, a teacher waving that wand in the air and audibly mumbling carried similar subtly. Since I already placed the necessity of truth on the table, I will openly admit I utilized the full power of that miraculous scepter. More than once. I will not, however, reveal the subject of each individual reason and purpose. Each time. To my knowledge, not one wave on the side of the student backfired on me in intent or outcome. Just so you know, a 12-inch dowel spray painted a shiny black with a gold coat of paint on a styrofoam ball attached by a student served nicely as my version. Enough can be too much.

On the other hand, crystal balls have been used for centuries to explore the unseen and the future. Professor Trelawney, of Hogwarts fame, described the art of crystal-gazing as a particularly refined art. I cannot speak to either of those statements in accuracy or authenticity. I would love to take a shot as it certainly carries a bit of intrigue. Understand, I most assuredly take into consideration the “too many negative possibilities” spoken above. This is different. It is cautious consideration, foolish fantasizing, and wishful weirdo-rama to the max. What else can be done with all those snow globes hidden away for eleven months of the year? Get ‘em out, dust ‘em off, and begin gazing. Well, with my recent luck, I would probably be faced with a crystal clear winning lottery ticket, with numbers in full display, in my hand. The next frame, of course, would show me stepping off the curb and getting hit by a bus. I apologize profusely for the unintended Alanis Morissette reference. In my individual case, the initial gazing frame would not affect me as I do not play the lottery, even if prompted by a crystal ball. The curb and bus thing could absolutely happen.

Does any credible objective exist, justifying the hankering of actually following through with a session of exploring the unseen and the future? Surely, not to see what’s “in the cards” for any of my three grandchildren. No, I want to live long enough to witness what entails in the unfolding of each life. Honestly, I would revel at a glance of an appointment with my cardiologist, five years from now, telling me how my heart has never been better. The only other possibility would be a glance of Renee and I celebrating our 70th wedding anniversary. As enticing as these both are, I still feel it to be an unnecessary and fruitless matter. Living unravels moments; the discovery becomes the motivation. There remains a similar misguided impulse to wave that magic wand with the right chant to match the expected result. So difficult for me to see the point of being to wave something in the air to accomplish something as important as solving houselessness. I can see waving one so as to wipe out the divisiveness over proper solutions and see how that would work out. Easy for me to understand the futility of magical powers, better left in print and on screens. It has, however, been a fascinating plunge into my realities versus a concept of changing ‘what’s what.’ It was a true bantering of my head and heart without a clear winner.

I will leave you with this—if you are like me and tend to research everything that comes across your desk, then be certain to use preciseness when entering searches for the magic wand. Trust me. I’m just telling the truth and pointing to hope.