Rock & Rails hosts first time acts

Although storm clouds threatened and a few sprinkles danced their way through the early evening, the weather was no match for the well prepared and excited Rock & Rails crowd on Thursday, June 28, where two bands new to the event were ready to entertain the crowd.

The night opened with the Teresa Storch Duo, made up of Storch and her husband Peter Lacis. No strangers to the stage, the Duo have toured internationally, performing at festivals in Scotland and Ireland. Their music focuses on guitar-laden melodies backing Storch's soulful voice to create an original sound with jam and roots origins.

The pair are also part of the Teresa Storch Band, along with a bassist and drummer. The band has upcoming shows in Longmont, Lyons, and Boulder.

The headliner, Los Cheesies, bill themselves as, "an insanely wild, high-energy band of both gringos and Latinos, uniting to deliver a unique and super fun, comical, and upbeat style." The seven-member group has been around for nine years and plays original fusion rock and roll, ska, reggae, rap and old school rock.

They even throw in a few "Weird Al" stylings of 80's and 90's hits. They've performed all along the Front Range, including appearances at Frozen Dead Guy Days, Larimer Beer Fest, Boulder Creek Festival, and Cheyenne Oktoberfest.

Known for being audience interactive, they certainly proved it by leading the crowd in a conga line during one of the sets. They can be seen later this summer at the Music First Celebration at the Boulder County Fairgrounds and Boulder Taco Fest.

The night's $1,884 tip jar was donated to Niwot-based non-profit The Jared Music Foundation (formerly the Jared Foundation). J.A.R.E.D., which stands for Join A Revolution Educate A Drummer and Other Musicians, works to "shape young minds through music education, exposing students in need to the dynamic and impactful feelings of creating and experiencing music."

One of the group's primary programs is the Jared Memorial Scholarship Program which provides students grades K-12 $1,000 scholarships to be used for vocal or instrumental music instruction by an instructor of their choice.

The foundation also partners with the Boulder Music Symphony & Music Academy (BS&MA) to provide scholarships to the school and collects and refurbishes instruments to donate to students. To date, the foundation has raised over $70,000 and has provided more than 60 scholarships. Currently the group has 20 students at BS&MA.

The Jared Music Foundation was formed by Surinder and Renae Dahiya in honor of their son, Jared Lizakowski, a 19-year-old Niwot resident who died in an October 2016 motorcycle accident.

Next up at Rock & Rails July 6 (July – where did that come from?): Dechen Hawk https://dechenhawk.com/ starts the night out at 5 p.m., followed by The Pamlico Sound. For a full schedule and more information visit https://niwot.com/rock-rails/.