When family members work together in professional music, it often results in strong chemistry and exquisitely blending voices. The flip side of that arrangement is a tendency for the infamous sibling squabbles that have long plagued family acts from The Everly Brothers (who broke up onstage at Knott’s Berry Farm midway through their planned final show) to those brawling, no-bromance Gallagher boys in Oasis. Dads managing their kids’ careers is another deal altogether . . . we won’t attempt to open that can here.
Anyhow, some sibling stars survive whatever madness the music industry or personal family dynamics might create, and go on making music. On Saturday, May 30, at 7 p.m., Harken Hall in Madison will be hosting a stylistically diverse night of bloodline-linked musical history spanning decades, headlined by ’90s rockers Nelson. The twin sons of 1950s pop sensation Rick Nelson, the twosome tour in tribute of their father while keeping their own music alive (as they did in season two of Peacemaker last year). The Nelson family holds a record for scoring No. 1 hits in three successive generations, starting with Ozzie Nelson in 1934. His son Ricky, (who enjoyed a second career phase performing as Rick Nelson) first hit the top of the charts in 1958, while sons Matthew and Gunnar repeated the feat in 1990 with “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection.”
Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill, photo by Pam Springsteen
They’ll be joined on the Nashville-area show by husband-and-wife duo Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill, respectively of ’80s jangle-rockers The Bangles (“Walk Like an Egyptian,” “Manic Monday”) and ’60s sunshine-pop family band The Cowsills (“Hair” and the song you probably know as “I Love the Flower Girl,” though that’s not the actual title). They made pop history as a sibling band with mom Barbara alongside, a gimmick of sorts that was musically successful, though family patriarch Bud Cowsill ultimately did as much to destroy their professional career as he initially did to launch it. (Whoops, we said we weren’t going to open that can . . . get the gory details in the 2011 documentary Family Band: The Cowsills’ Story, which unpacks all the cracks that were so well concealed during the band’s brief but very visible stint as hitmakers and media darlings between 1967 and ’69.)
John Cowsill, a career musician, singer and multi-instrumentalist who worked extensively with The Beach Boys, had never performed under his own name until the release of last year’s earthy, acoustic-driven Long After the Fire, a collaboration with his wife. Peterson, who co-founded The Bangles along with sister Debbi, is also exploring new territory on the couple’s debut project together, teaming up to showcase the worthy but relatively little-known work of fallen Cowsill brothers Bill and Barry.
Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill, photo by Henry Diltz
All involved on the double bill are versatile performers who comfortably echo past glories while also continuing to grow as artists. Any open-minded music lover is bound to find plenty to like here, along with stories covering more than half a century. Harken Hall (the home of Music City Roots, and a close partner to ‘Boro-based Americana station WMOT) is a sonically and aesthetically top-shelf newer venue that opened in late 2024. Learn more or get tickets (which are now limited) at harkenhall.com.
Also, watch the Pulse online to catch our conversation with Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill, coming soon to a screen near your face, via boropulse.com.
