Crazy Wolf Entertainment

Home Search Talent Request Form About Us References Industry News Contact Us
Industry News

Poi Dog Pondering

To book artists and talent such as Poi Dog Pondering for your corporate event, private party, fundraiser, or club, just use our Talent Request Form or Contact us.
A strange mélange of folk, Third World, Celtic, Hawaiian, and punk, this Austin, TX, octet made some ripples on their 1989 self-titled debut. When people talk about the splintering of the mainstream in popular music, this is what they mean.

Frank started Poi Dog Pondering way back when in Hawaii with Susan, Dave, and others. He's the principal song writer for the group as well as the lead vocalist. He also plays acoustic guitar on some songs. Lately, Frank has been spending a lot of his time behind the turntables, DJing and putting together live shows with Dave, Paul, and Mel Hammond as Poi NRG Inc.

Susan is Poi's violinist. She also is one of the original Poi people, and followed Poi's progress from Hawaii to Austin to their current home in Chicago. She currently also plays with Charlie Sexton and is working on an album of Prince covers as the follow-up to her other two solo discs, "13 Ribs" and "Summer Crashing."

Paul is Poi's multi-talented woodwinds player. For the most part he plays saxophone (alto, tenor, baritone, and sometimes soprano), flute, piccolo, and clarinet. However, he's also been known to take a turn at the keyboards and play harmonica and sing. He did some of the arrangements for the Grant Park show with the Grant Park Symphony last summer, as well.

Dave spreads his talents over a wide-range of instruments from the accordion, to the Flugelhorn stopping at keyboards, loops, and of course, trumpet along the way. One of the original Poi People, he mixes up the setlists keeping the new songs strong and the older material fresh.

Steve Goulding plays drum kit for Poi. He lays down the beats that keep the Poi NRG flowing and drive it over the top towards the end of Sandra at the Beach and throughout the shows. Besides Poi he plays with Jon Langsford in both the Mekons and the Waco Bros. and has played with the likes of Elvis Costello and David Bowie.

Leddie is Poi's energetic percussionist. He brings several cases of toys to every show and is always on with just the right whistle or bare-handed cymbal crash. He's going to start gigging with a re-formed Zo. It's been trimmed to a seven-piece free-form featuring all session musicians, although others are welcome to join as well.

Dag Juhlin is Poi's guitarist. He's also fronts a band called the Slugs who can be seen in Chicago land Sat. May 31st for "an evening with the Slugs (that means no opening band, lots of rambling, lots of songs. lots of fun) at Schuba's." Dag recently got caught in the PoiHQ spotlight with Bobby C. You can still what he had to say.

Kornell Hargrove is one of Poi's backing vocal contingent. When he's not on stage with Poi, he's a firefighter in Wisconsin, where he lives with his wife Velveeta.

Arlene has been with Poi almost as long as they've been in Chicago, and as more and more audiences couldn't get enough of her soulful diva-like vocals, her roll has grown. She and Robert have taken lead vocals on covers such as "Let's Get it On" version Poi has been doing of late. She is recently married and lives in Wisconsin.

Eddie joined up with Poi Dog Pondering in the summer of '96, bringing with him not only an electric, but a stand-up bass. Yet another instrument to squeeze on the tight Poi stage.

« Back to List