By Joshua Wood | [email protected]    

The Cottonwood Heights Arts Council is bringing the Americana/country group Joshua Creek to Butler Middle School on Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m. The group will perform its popular storytelling songs for the ninth consecutive holiday season in Utah.

“We like performing and connecting with people and letting them have a special moment in their holiday season,” said Joshua Creek bassist Quint Randle. “The Christmas special is a time to slow down and make Christmas special. It’s different. These are songs we do once a year.”

Joshua Creek has released six studio albums, beginning with its self-titled album in 2005. Several of their Christmas songs have been published for holiday collections. One DJ said that Joshua Creek’s Americana sound is “like listening to a Norman Rockwell painting.”

“We’re not really country,” Randle said. “We have country values, but we’re more country without a capital ‘c’ — Americana/country/folk/rock sums us up. It will be a fun evening of storytelling and musicianship. We appreciate the Cottonwood Heights Arts Council for bringing us to the Salt Lake Valley. It’s our only Christmas show in the area this year.”

The Dec. 16 performance will include some of Joshua Creek’s original compositions as well as Christmas classics like “Little Drummer Boy,” “Do You Hear What I Hear” and “O Holy Night.”

“We combine our storytelling songs with traditional Christmas songs,” said Randle. “It’s not as stuffy as some Christmas concerts. Plus, it offers family-friendly pricing.”

Joshua Creek is known for its lyrical story songs. Lead guitarist Ron Saltmarsh said, “Yes, our songs are designed to take our listeners places, but the songs also take us places too.”

Fans of Christmas music can find Joshua Creek at Butler Middle School. Tickets can be purchased at the door on Dec. 16. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children 3–12 and seniors 65 and older.