UNIVERSITY PARK (Tuesday, April 16) — Three cherished State College bands will take the stage to kick off the 50th anniversary of one of Penn State’s iconic buildings and its connections to the community.
“Flashback Forward: Eisenhower Auditorium Turns 50!” will be at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 22, in the auditorium. Longtime State College favorites Famly Brew (former members of the Phyrst Phamly), The Screaming Ducks and Pure Cane Sugar will perform.
Visit Flashback Forward online or call 814-863-0255 for more information or to order general-admission tickets.
Food and beverages will be available for purchase from vendors in front of the auditorium starting at 5:30 p.m. The event, a partnership between the Center for the Performing Arts and the Penn State Alumni Association, is part of the We Are Weekend activities.
Famly Brew
Famly Brew — Jennifer Dixon and Leslie Davis (banjo), Connie Fisher (guitar) and Mo Stroemel (bass) — are alumni members of the Phyrst Phamly, a decades-long State College Saturday night tradition featuring a rotating crew of local musicians. Famly Brew performs high-energy sing-alongs of popular TV themes and songs from the Americana and Irish songbooks.
The Screaming Ducks
The Screaming Ducks, the self-described “best bar band you will ever see,” celebrates 40 years of enthusiastic renditions of the classic-rock and blues favorites — a legacy that started on Valentine’s Day, 1984. Since then, the band has performed at local drinking establishments, arts fairs and music festivals.
The current lineup features original members John Cunningham (guitar) and John Beschler (drums); John Kennedy (bassist since 1992), Andy Tolins (guitarist since 1987) and Don Bedell (vocals and guitar since 2019).
Pure Cane Sugar
Pure Cane Sugar, formed in 2006, is described as an “assemblage of masterful melodies and haunting harmonies.” The band’s fusion of Americana, roots rock, blues, country and sweet blend of vocals have earned the artists “Best Local Band/Musician” in State College Magazine's “Best of State College” for the past eight years.
Pure Cane Sugar is Kate Twoey, acoustic guitar and vocals; Natalie Race, vocals; Daryl Branford, drums; Bob Hart, bass; and Brian Cleary, guitar.
For more information, visit the Center for the Performing Arts online, Facebook and Instagram.