Meet The Cross-Eyed Possum

The Cross-Eyed Possum is an identical twin-led Americana/Newgrass band that plays with the energy of a folk-rock band through the lens of intimacy created as an acoustic trio. Their music is an amalgamation of their collective love for passionate rock ‘n’ roll, their experience with the free and honest feeling found in acoustic/bluegrass festivals, and their time spent dedicated to the adventurous tendencies of jazz and classical music composition while attending universities. The band’s tangled roots in the calculation of jazz and classical music and the passionate voice of popular song combine to make music that knows no bounds. From music school to big stages, they bring an adventure to every show! Cross-Eyed Possum won 1st place in the 2022 Pickin’ In The Pines Band Contest. They perform mostly original music that was inspired by a mix of the wide genres of music the twins grew up with (Americana, Rock n Roll, Bluegrass, Folk), their Jazz and Classical university experiences, and their stories of life on the road. Cross-Eyed Possum performed at the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival and several other festivals and esteemed listening rooms on a 42 day summer tour in 2024 that the band independently organized spanning the length of the United States and even heading into Canada. They have also performed in a number of other festivals and tours over the past 5 years. They were pleased to share the bills with Del McCoury Band, Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway, Greensky Bluegrass, and many more.

Jason Howard is a double bassist who has been playing music since middle school and has continued to play professionally with Jonah in Cross-Eyed Possum after graduating with a degree in music performance from Northern Arizona State University in May 2022. In the duration of his high school career, Jason experienced success in multiple scenarios both within the fields of competitive high school competitions and the professional music world. He made all state twice for both orchestra and jazz, taking first in orchestra once and first in jazz both times. During this time, he and his twin brother began writing and performing music together on stages all around the state of Arizona. Jason also joined the band “Sugar and the Mint” while in high school, with whom he won numerous competitions including the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Contest and toured the music festival scene extensively. Jason also experienced numerous successes during his time at NAU, including opportunities such as playing principal bass for the NAU Symphony, the Flagstaff Symphony, Verde Valley Symphony, and playing with the top jazz combo in his school. He also won the NAU concerto competition his junior year, toured around the country multiple times with The Cross-Eyed Possum, and wrote multiple solo pieces for the double bass.

Jonah Howard graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University in May 2022 with a degree in Jazz Performance and a certificate in Music Entrepreneurship. During these college years he had the opportunity to tour with Cross-Eyed Possum several times across the country, as well as play with several bands in the Phoenix area. At school he performed in some of the top ensembles under the direction of Michael Kocour and Lewis Nash. He also wrote and produced much original music for jazz recitals and for classes that he attended at ASU’s Popular Music School. Some of this music will feature in upcoming Cross-Eyed Possum projects.