The Virginia Creepers have been playing Appalachian old-time stringband music since 1991. The original members, Steve Huestis (banjo), Rick Olcott (guitar) and Peter White (fiddle) met at a jam sponsored by the New Mexico Folk Music and Dance Society (NM FolkMADS) and decided to launch a band. They were joined by Scott Mathis (mandolin, guitarron) shortly thereafter. Bruce Thomson (fiddle) came on board sometime in the late 90's. Around that same time Scott relocated to CO for a few years, and Laurie Phillips took over the mandolin duties. Over the years, the Creepers have had more bass players than Spinal Tap had drummers. Richard Heggen and Greg Donohoe both put in some quality time, Matt Day played with the band briefly, and some Creeper family members were occasionally drafted - like bass wiz Blake Thomson, and Jane Phillips, who wasn't even a bass player. Desperate Creepers call for desparate measures.
Peter and Bruce were pulled away by the hazards of real life over the years, and in 2010 Jane started fiddling with the boys. (Don't worry, for her own safety she wears a special protective suit when in the Creeper Clubhouse.) In 2014 they were able to convince Marc Robert to join them on bass and banjo (never hurts to have a criminal defense attorney in the band), and he stuck around. In 2019 they went back to the double-fiddle sound with the addition of fiddling wizard Michel Robert. You can read about the current band members over on the "who do they think they are" bio page.
The "Creeps," as they are affectionately known, come from a wide variety of musical backgrounds, but all have found a niche playing the original country music of Appalachia, spanning roughly the period from just before the Civil War to the 1920's. |
