Anna Fermin, Chicago’s very own folksy, popsy songstress, and her group performed at tonight’s Peanut Butter & Jam concert at Veteran’s Memorial Park.  It was a lovely night for a stroll and listening to music.

Here is a clip of her song, “Draggin’ On:”

Anna Fermin is an American folk/country singer and songwriter.  Fermin was born in the Phillippines, but moved to Kenosha with her family when she was a small child.  She attended art school in Chicago from 1989 and began playing acoustic guitar there.

She has cited Steve Earle’s song “Down the Road,” which she later recorded, as an early inspiration.  She played in a band called Anaboy briefly, then played solo locally before forming a new band called Trigger Gospel with Andon Davis (guitar), Michael Krayniak (double and electric basses) and Paul Bivans (drums). The group opened for Johnny Cash at the House of Blues Chicago in one of their first gigs in 1996.  They self-released an EP in 1997. After performing at South by Southwest (SXSW) in 1998, Lloyd Maines saw them and offered to produce their debut full-length album, Things to Come, which was released in 1999.  2002′s Live Music, Vol. One, was recorded at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. Jay Bennett produced 2003′s Oh, the Stories We Hold.  Trigger Gospel released Go in 2007.

In 2012, Fermin started moving in a new direction with a new band and a couple of extended play (EP) releases.  She has been working on new material for a while, and is playing the new songs with a greater nod towards pop music, and shifting slightly away from her country/Americana roots. Live, she still plays some of her older hits with the new band.

In July – August 2012, Anna appeared in renowned Chicago artist Tony Fitzpatrick’s autobiographical play, “Nickel History: The Nation of Heat”, at the Steppenwolf Garage Theatre in Chicago.

Here are a couple more pictures from tonight’s performance:

Next week, Honey Island Swamp Band will be the featured artists.  Vintage country meets boogie-woogie blues!  Concert performances are from 11:30 to 1:30 pm, and 6 to 8 pm, on Thursdays.