DCA Kicks Off Winter Season with Guitarola Coffeehouse Concert, Morning Roots of Rock & Roll DJ Set by David Watkins

Fish Creek, Wis. (January 6, 2024) – DCA will kick off its 2025 winter season on Saturday, January 11 with two events: a 10 a.m. DJ set by David Watkins focused on the roots of rock and roll, and an evening concert by instrumental rock guitar trio Guitarola at 7 p.m.

David Watkins’ curated set of tunes exploring the roots of rock and roll is the first 2025 installment of DCA’s annual “Door County Talks” series—this year called “Door County Talks (and Listens).” Watkins specializes in 20th-century R&B, blues, jazz, country, old-time, rock, exotica, Hawaiian, international, and rare Christmas music. Spinning his thoughtfully curated sets from real records (78s, 45s, and LPs) on modern equipment, Watkins brings an analog feel to a digital world. In this set, he explores the roots of rock and roll, including Cab Calloway and his Orchestra, Louis Jordan, Roy Brown, and The Midnighters.

Door County Talks (& Listens) sessions begin at 10:00 a.m. in the DCA lobby. They are free to the public; freewill donations are encouraged. Coffee and bakery will be available for purchase.

At 7 p.m., also in the DCA lobby, Guitarola will present the first Coffeehouse Concert of this season. These concerts show off the cozy intimacy of the DCA lobby and feature some of the best musical talent Door County has to offer. This week’s ensemble, Guitarola, performs classic pop, rock, and R&B tunes using steel string, nylon string, and acoustic bass guitars. Members Dennis Keith Johnson, John Lewis, and Bruce Newbern have traveled the world playing music, but they now call this peninsula home. Together, Lewis, Johnson, and Newbern love to play with genre, incorporating blues, gypsy, Latin, and Django Reinhardt jazz into their work, occasionally turning a rock tune into, say, a Brazilian samba. Guitarola creates rock music energy without rock volume.

All Coffeehouse Concerts take place at 7:00 p.m. in the DCA Fireside lobby. Tickets are $17.50 each and advance reservations are strongly suggested. Coffee and bakery will be available for purchase.

DCA is located at 3926 Highway 42 in Fish Creek. The box office is open Monday-Friday, 12-5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in person, on the phone at (920) 868-2728, or online at www.dcauditorium.org.