When it comes to guitar picking, one of the most versatile talents in the west has got to be Moab local David Steward. David Steward was born and raised in the hills of North Jersey but he has lived in the Moab area longer than anywhere else. For more than 30 years he has been the backbone of a variety of local bands, and now appears three nights a week at the Moab Backyard Theater.

A singer-songwriter with several CD’s of original music, he is adept at playing rock, country and jazz. When not performing, he also works as a field biologist chasing after birds and bats in the remote wilds of southeast Utah.

David spent ten seasons playing Western music for audiences from around the world at the now legendary Bar-M Chuckwagon where he became known for his yodeling skills. The video that was recently made of his song “Do It Like A Local”, which was penned at the request of the County Tourism board, is receiving wide circulation both online and on local channel 6 ETV.

For nearly three decades he collaborated with fellow guitarist David Earl Brown in the rock band Remnants. Sadly, David Earl passed away last year. A celebration of his life with lots of live music is planned for Sunday, June 6th from 5:00 to 8:00 at Old City Park.

This June, You can see David Steward perform at Moab’s Backyard Theater 56 W. 100 South (just behind Zax), a place where the music is always free. On Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8pm he plays acoustic with the Country Sweetgrass band Quicksand Soup. Fridays, David performs with the honky-tonk fusion group, Juniper Drive, which also features mandolin from Eric Jones and guitar work from Glenn Sherill, also at 8pm. You might also hear him sing a song or two in Spanish. Come check out the music and meet David for yourself!

Friends of the Moab Folk Festival is proud to announce the return of our free summer concert series. Three free concerts will be held on select Fridays at Swanny City Park. The free concerts are open to the public, and folks are encouraged to come with their friends and families. Beer and wine will be available for the adults. The concert stage will be set up adjacent to the pavilion, providing a perfect picnic spot for all under the large cottonwoods and a playground for the kiddos. Showtime is 7 to 9 PM. KZMU Community Radio will livestream on 90.1 FM and kzmu.org.

The series opens June 11th with the enchanting acoustic folk collaboration between Bonnie Paine and Bridget Law hatched in the band Elephant Revival. Bonnie’s vocals warble and wend through her songs carrying us with her as she plays cello, saw, washboard and guitar. Bridget joins with the skill and confidence of a master fiddler, weaving earthy, lilting melodies. Together they welcome audiences into their portal of positivity and great sound.

On July 30th, the series continues with Steve Poltz; folksinger, musician, and comedian. His early collaborations with The Rugburns and Jewel have evolved into his own solo style: part crazy, part master song crafter, and guaranteed to make you laugh! In the 20 years since his full-length solo debut, Steve Poltz has blessed the world’s ears with thirteen solo records.

On August 27th, the final installment of the 2021 Series will be presented. At press time this act is unconfirmed. Please stay tuned. For more information, please visit www.moabfreeconcerts.com or www.facebook.com/moabfreeconcerts/

Funding for this project is generously provided by the Moab Area Travel Council, Utah Division of Arts and Museums, City of Moab, as well as many additional business sponsors. The series is produced with cooperation from Moab Folk Festival, Moab Arts and Recreation Center, and KZMU. Our non-profit organization will use income earned from beer and wine sales and local sponsorships to continue and expand the series in the future. The series is a labor of love for music and community for all those involved.

At the request of the City of Moab and out of concern for the health and well being of our whole community, seating will be organized with socially distanced pods and mask wearing is required when outside your pod. The Moab Free Concert Series envisions a safe gathering space with all those who attend co-creating the successful reopening of live music in Moab.

Friends of the Moab Folk Festival (Friends) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization founded in 2005. Our programming efforts include: The Moab Folk Festival (Festival), the Moab Folk Camp (Camp), educational outreach within the Grand County school system, senior citizen outreach, and the Moab Free Concert Series.