Petunia and the Vipers

Petunia and the Vipers is a Vancouver-based band that draws from hillbilly, swing, ragtime, blues, rock, Mexicana, jazz, folk, and country influences to create a sound that exists somewhere between the 1920s and steampunk. Led by the charismatic Petunia, who grew up in rural Ste.-Dorothée, Laval, Quebec, the band has spent most of their career wandering and playing music across Canada, the United States, Europe, and South America. Petunia spent the early part of his career playing on every major street corner, subway station, and park bench in Canada and New York City, picking, grinning, and singing for his living, earning him the nickname The Savior of Country Music and a reputation as a restless wanderer, musical historian, and Canadian treasure. The band includes Jimmy Roy on lap-steel guitar and vocals, Stephen Nikleva on electric guitar, Joseph Lubinsky on upright bass and vocals, and Paul Townsend on drums. Together, they have released several albums, with their last four reaching the top spot on Canadian folk, blues, and Americana charts. The band seems to have time-travelled straight from the 1920s, barnstorming through Western swing to early rock 'n' roll and rhythm and blues in a joyfully anachronistic symphony of picking, yodels, howls, and pure fun. With their vintage aesthetic, exceptional musicianship, and Petunia's magnetic stage presence, Petunia and the Vipers deliver performances that are both historically informed and wildly entertaining, keeping the spirit of early American roots music alive for contemporary audiences.

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