Local songstress Carol Peters' route to the stage was a circuitous one: She didn't begin a career as a professional performer until what she calls the "third phase" of her life, which started in the late 1990s. This Saturday Friday, Peters will be showing her stuff with her band, The Retrofits, in a special concert at Doc's Lab she's calling "Champagne Tales." 

"This sophisticated and effervescent diva has assembled a collection of standard and original music filled with romance, irony, pathos, and humor," according to the promotional blurb. "A lifetime of experience provides the back story for Carol’s intimate and truth-telling lyrical presentations."

Peters promises her shows are unlike other live music performances, as they include a storytelling element. "I write patter to introduce the song, so there’s a constant weaving to keep the continuity going," she told us.

The goal is to provide a theatrical experience. "I always dress to the max during a show," she said. "I like the whole thing: I like the great band, I like the fact that I’m different-looking on stage, I love the patter, and I love the music. I think the whole thing is an entire show." Expect jazz, blues, pop and more at the Doc's Lab concert.

Though Peters performed with a band in high school, she left singing behind to work in other careers, including owning and managing a construction company with her second husband. "During that time, we did 60 jobs a month and I had 300 people working under me," Peters said. In 1990, she was named "Businesswoman of the Year" by the San Mateo County Better Business Bureau.

Peters shows General T Hill, a horse sculpture she created.

After that marriage ended, Peters said she "emerged from the cocoon." Over in the East Bay in 1998, "I joined a gospel choir and learned how to sing, clap and sway, which was pretty difficult for this Presbyterian church girl," she said. "And then, I decided I wanted to become a singer."

She tried to form an Andrews Sisters-inspired vocal trio, but on the urging of Angelo Ortiz, the guitarist who accompanied them, she decided to go solo. "I started writing music with Angelo," she said. "We wrote some beautiful music together." Sadly, Ortiz had a heart attack and stroke, and was blinded and couldn’t work anymore.

In 1999, Peters married author and historian Art Peterson (she shortens her last name as a stage name) and returned to the city. She began collaborating with guitarist Eric Vogler, forming the Retrofits with him. "He and I wrote incredible music, too—many, many songs." All told, Peters has written or cowritten 39 songs, and is currently in the studio finishing up a CD of originals and jazz and blu

She also took four years of voice lessons, once a week, with two German girls who taught the Seth Riggs technique. When a "very famous singing friend in New York" told her to start performing with a pianist, she connected with a man she refers to as "Mr. Surly." 

That ultimately didn't work out, so in 2011, Peters auditioned 10 new piano players in one day. She ultimately connected with Sue Crosman, the final performer of that day and a 25-year veteran of the San Francisco music scene. "She sat down at the piano and said, 'You know, Carol, I’m not for everybody,' and I said, 'I'm not either.'" They ended up forming a band for children called Candy and the Sweet Tooths, playing music geared to youngsters. It eventually disbanded, and Peters started concentrating more on her adult music.

Peters displays masks she's made. 

For Saturday's show, the band members include Crossman (also the musical director) on piano, Benito Cortez on jazz violin and mandolin, Steve La Porta on percussion and Ric Wilson on guitar. Two different sets will start at 9pm and 10:30pm, with an intermission.

The group often plays at local restaurants and charity events, and have appeared at Feinstein's at the Nikko and Society Cabaret at the Hotel Rex. Peters and Crossman also perform dinner shows in her home for small groups; she takes bookings through her website. At these events, her husband, Art, who wrote Why Is That Bridge Orange?, shares an insider's pictorial perspective on the city and its history. Peters says guests are thrilled to hang out with locals in their home—in their case, a modern FiDi penthouse with stunning city and Bay Bridge views.

A renaissance woman, Peters is also a writer and artist. She's self-published two novels and seven works of juvenile fiction. Renowned for her elaborate Halloween outfits, she makes ornate, bejeweled masks, which are prominently displayed around her condo. A glittering horse sculpture, a main focal point of her living room, is another creation of hers. And she shares her talents: She recently taught a mask-making class at Artist & Craftsman Supply in Jackson Square, and will be teaching a free photo collage class three from 1–3pm on May 1st.