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Band Biography

John Jesitus

Featured Songwriter, Vocalist, Harp Player, and Occasional Guitarist

This is where I get to spout off about my favorite topic -- me. Truthfully, I've always had a tough time describing my music. Somebody once asked me, "how do you write a song?" I answered, how do you not write a song? I've been doing it since I picked up the guitar at age 17. By now it's as natural as breathing. But that doesn't mean it's easy!

The Inevitable Comparisons

Another pesky question we songwriters frequently get is, "who do you sound like?"

On the folk side, people have compared my vocal range and songwriting style to those of John Gorka, David Wilcox, and occasionally Gordon Lightfoot (not sure how I feel about that last one!). Put an electric guitar in my hands and you'll hear people talking about Bruce Springsteen, Warren Zevon, and Elvis Costello. So you be the judge. The songs I write for the SR3 combine all these influences, plus plenty more -- Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, John Mellencamp, Tom Petty, Don Henley, '80s power ballads, and even the classical and jazz music I played as a trombonist during high school and college (insert band geek joke here).

The Self-Congratulatory List of Accomplishments

• 1991: Honorable Mention, Billboard/KFC Song Contest for "Lifetime for Love."

• 1993: Lifetime for Love EP released

• 1996: selected to perform at Capitol Hill Peoples Fair 25th anniversary, Denver

• 2001, 2002: Taste of Colorado songwriter showcase, Denver (2001 host: Jock Bartley of Firefall)

• 2001: founding member of classic rock band Dante (a.k.a. Dante Spumante, our original-music alter ego). Www.GeoCities.com/Danteband/

Theresa Jesitus

Keyboardist, Vocalist

Theresa reports that she likes to sleep with her arm up over her head sometimes, and she seems to have a fascination with Spam^® (the meat product, not the electronic kind.)  Despite those minor setbacks, she has undeniable talent on the keyboard, and her influences include Sarah McLachlan, Alanis Morissette, Fleetwood Mac, and Carly Simon.

Stace Johnson

Guitarist, Vocalist

Like John, Stace has been playing guitar since he was seventeen, inspired by acoustic fingerpicking ballads from Dan Fogelberg, Kansas, and James Taylor, and later by the electric blues of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robben Ford.  Stace has lived in the Southwest all his life, most of that time in Colorado.  He has dabbled in songwriting, poetry, and fiction writing, and samples of some of his written work are on display at his website, Lytspeed Communications.  In twenty years of off-an-on guitar playing, Stace has played with several bands, including Rosie Radiator and the Push Rods, Flat Rabbit, Eight Inch Weeds, and a couple of fill-in gigs for Dante Spumante.

Stace enjoys playing with Steel River Three, and has learned that it is not wise to mention The Drive to people from Cleveland.  Fortunately, the bruises healed quickly.