Beloved Petaluma musician Arann Harris says farewell

Arann Harris burst on the Petaluma music scene about 10 years ago, a 6-foot, 5-inch bundle of energy stomping his feet, strumming his guitar and growling his lyrics in a voice that sounded like an old-time bluesman.

From his first band, The Bluebellies, to his latest, The Farm Band, Harris has been a true original, a self-described “cultivator of Americana soul,” mixing gospel, funk, blues and mountain music to entertain listeners with such songs as “Favorite Chicken” and “Cupolas and Cul-de-Sacs.”

But when Harris headlines a concert Saturday at The Mystic Theatre, it will be his farewell show.

“I am retiring from the music world to be with my family and focus on bringing music to families on farms,” he said.

“The Big Finish” concert (which will be on Harris’ 42nd birthday) will include Hillstomp, a junk-box blues duo from Portland, Ore.; roots songwriter Sean Hayes; and other local musicians.

While Harris says he won’t stop playing music or performing occasionally, he is “saying goodbye to the dream of being a professional musician and goodbye to the Arann Harris persona.”

“I’m retiring this dream of being a self-sustaining musician,” he said. “I’m definitely not going to play for a while. I’ll just practice playing the fiddle, playing the organ, and not be worried what I sound like.”

He and his wife, Paige Green, are the parents of two young boys, 4 and 2. They live and work at Windrush Farm, a sheep farm and educational facility in Chileno Valley started by Harris’ mother in 1995. The farm produces wool, conducts classes in spinning and dyeing, and holds camps for children 5 and under to introduce them to farm life. There, Harris works with two women to run a business called Animal Music, which facilitates sing-alongs and farm songs while children get a chance to meet animals at the establishment.

He said he came to the realization that it wouldn’t be fair to his family to continue to devote the time and energy required to succeed in the music business.

“I was always conflicted about trying to be a professional musician,” he said. “I wasn’t fully committed. I wanted to be part of the Petaluma community. I didn’t buy a van and tour. It just takes so much time and energy to promote and book gigs. And there’s not enough money in it to pay a mortgage in Petaluma.”

He added that it’s a “relief” for him to say goodbye to the business.

“I always had this extreme quest to be better, to get bigger gigs and make more money,” he said. “And there was no end to it, to be able to say, ‘Now I’ve made it. Now I have enough money.’?”

Harris’ high-energy performing style also took its toll.

“The way I play, I exhaust myself,” he said. “I put everything into every performance. Every night I want to give 100 percent. I don’t want to ‘phone it in.’?”

Harris’ retirement has surprised many of his fans. Barbara Morrison, whose sons Ben and Alex are members of The Brothers Comatose band, said Harris is “the best crowd pepper-upper in the land.”

“Between his music, his antics, his outfits, his energy and the love of his craft, he’s one of the best entertainers Petaluma has ever produced,” she said. “My boys can’t believe he is ‘retiring,’ either. They love him, too.”

Reflecting on his musical style, Harris said, “I’ve always tried to be unique and weird and just be influenced by what’s around me and not look at trends. I’m not a ‘love song’ musician. My music is more about what’s here in Petaluma, the feeling of this town and the evolution of Petaluma.”

Harris was born in Oakland, but he remembers frequent visits to Petaluma with his family when he was growing up. After traveling the world farming, rafting, skiing and teaching, he settled on the family farm outside Petaluma in 2004.

“I wanted to make a regional sound that reflects that we’re close to San Francisco but we’re rural,” he said. “I’ve really worked to capture that. I’m not trying to reach the masses, but my music is a limited sliver.”

Harris says he’s very excited about his farewell concert.

“There will be a lot of collaboration. All kinds of musicians will be showing up. I think I’ll have my first beer in six months that night,” he said. But after that, “I’ll be getting out of sticky-floored bars and making more healthful choices.”

(Chris Samson is the former editor of the Argus-Courier. Contact him at chrissamson@yahoo.com.)