WEEKENDER BLOG

(Photo of Damascus Road)

The Cedar Falls Community Theatre presents a free will offering event to compliment the ongoing concert and movie series. A Bluegrass Concert featuring the bands The Comfort Kings and Damascus Road will take place at the Oster Regent Theatre Saturday, November 9, at 7:30pm. Admission price is free will offering. The concert is sponsored in part by the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa.

The Comfort Kings are a contemporary acoustic band from the hills of the Cedar Valley in Iowa. They play a mix of old-time, Americana, indie rock and original work using a traditional bluegrass instrumental arrangement. All three members draw on the rich history of regional Americana melodies to create original songs with vivid, poetic lyrics that evoke bygone eras. Their full-length studio release, “Prairie Fire,” produced by the Aquatic Noise label in Excelsior, Minn., was released in early 2013. “Prairie Fire” features a mixture of original tunes and timeless folk arrangements and has been featured on the Iowa Public Radio show “The Folk Tree.” The group consists of Amie Steffen – lead vocals, guitar, percussion. Cody Grimes – fiddle, mandolin, guitar, anything else he gets his hands on. John Molseed – banjo, guitar.

“The Comfort Kings are the real deal, a Cedar Valley band with musical chops that would be right at home on a wider stage. The band’s bluegrass sound is relaxing and enthralling, world-weary and upbeat, a soulful vibe with wide appeal.”

-Aaron McNally, Pulse Magazine

Damascus Road is a talented band that includes the following members for this gig: Kim Sittig (guitar and vocals,) Raechel Sittig-Esser (lead singer,) Dave Stamp (guitar and mandolin,) Jeff Juhl (bass,) Paul Prescott (guitar and vocals,) Greg Holt (banjo and vocals.)

Sittig is a Spanish teacher, at AGWSR High School, who led her class to Costa Rica last summer. She has acted in shows all around the area and is currently in production for The 1940s Radio Hour. Sittig-Esser is a farmer’s daughter, like her sister, she grew up raising horses, donkeys and pigs. She has taught in many schools in the area and is married to Terry Esser – they are proud parents of one-year-old, Malichai. Stamp is an attorney who also plays with the rock band, Sideshow Bob. He is married to Linda and they have three theatrical sons. Dave just appeared in The Good Doctor and was once kicked out of the U.S. Capitol building for using the congressional restroom. Juhl lives in Cedar Falls and works at UNI. He is married to Jenny and they too have some theatrical children. Jeff, who also plays with Sideshow Bob, will be filling in as the for this gig. Prescott, originally from California, he grew up on a farm near Iowa Falls. His uncle, Lynn, was a well-known studio musician who played steel guitar. Paul’s wife is Hannah and they have three delightful children between the age of 1 and 7. He works as a superintendent for the Samuels Group. Holt is the youth director at First Congregational and has acted and directed around the country. He directs at CFCT, teaches a class at UNI and runs the Parabola Youth Theatre. In his spare time he visits his wife, Michelle, and their three children.

John C. Luzaich – General Manager, Oster Regent Theatre & CFCT

319-277-5283, cfct@cfu.net

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