Shareholder’s band plays bass guitar for Nokie Edwards

CIRI shareholder Laurie Kerslake playing bass guitar with Nokie Edwards.
CIRI shareholder Laurie Kerslake playing bass guitar with Nokie Edwards.

It’s not every day that an Alaskan band has the honor to play music with a Legendary Hall of Fame guitarist known for his music all around the world. However, CIRI shareholder Laurie Kerslake and her band, Northern Comfort, were invited to play with Nokie Edwards during his performances at the Alaska State Fair for the second year in a row.

“In 2012, when I was rehearsing at home learning all Nokie’s songs from The Ventures, songs like ‘Walk Don’t Run’, ‘Secret Agent Man’ and ‘Hawaii 5-O,’ to name a few, I got a lump in my throat because I couldn’t believe that I would ever be playing bass guitar with the man that made these songs popular on the radio and in the movies,” said Kerslake.
 The 2013 two-day performance occurred Aug. 23 and Aug. 24 and included the Northern Comfort band members keyboardist Taylor Caldwell, drummer Rob Rood, bass guitarist Lauri Kerslake, and two additional guitarists, Ron Wise and Stu Schulman.
“I would never have had this opportunity beginning in 2012 if it wasn’t for Alaskan musician and friend Ron Wise. It has been an experience of a lifetime.”
Nokie Edwards celebrated his 78th birthday this year and released a new album “Nokie Plays Latin” in August.