Cedar County Cobras arrive with a collection of instruments to play boot-stompin' roots music that has been described as contagious, acoustic rockabilly, dancing bluegrass, or brand new old-time country with the gritty sound of soulful blues.

Cedar County Cobras arrive with an upright bass, foot drum, and several guitars to play American Roots & Blues music from the last century. The music takes on an “old time” blues feel that would most likely be found in a juke-joint down a gravel road in rural Iowa. They have played hundreds of shows from the local winery to international festival stages. In 2023, the duo released their debut album "Homesick Blues" which has been charting worldwide and placed in the top acoustic blues records of 2023 and 2024. They are the current winners of the solo/duo category for the Iowa Blues Challenge and placed as semi-finalists at the 2025 International Blues Festival in Memphis. 

Songwriter, Tom Spielbauer, is known for rich baritone vocals and slide guitar. He is behind the boot-stompin' blues sound produced by the duo and has over twenty years of playing blues and rock across Iowa and the Midwest. The authentic sound of his music comes from a career of pouring concrete and working construction. In 2005, Tom was diagnosed with advanced macular degeneration at a young age and declared legally blind. Following in the footsteps of blind blues musicians such as Blind Willie McTell & Alan Wilson, he eventually traded his concrete tools for a guitar and a foot drum to play the blues full time. In his solo career he was the winner of the Iowa Blues Challenge and placed as a semi-finalist at the 2023 International Blues Challenge in Memphis.

Also an Iowa native, his music partner April Dirks started playing mandolin with the Cedar County Cobras in 2014. Before working with Tom, she often performed as a bluegrass musician with a unique “gypsy” sound that she brought to any performance or music jam. Early in the project, April discovered she had a talent for playing the upright bass and the duo naturally gravitated to playing American Roots and Delta Blues Music. April now plays the doghouse bass that gives the duo the boot-stompin' boogie sound that makes the music really move. 

Over time, the Cobras have played hundreds of shows across the Midwest and have performed in Italy. They bring a contagious energy to any live performance and cover different genres of music so that every member of the audience is sure to be satisfied. Audience members will find themselves tapping to the beat of the foot drum and upright bass or getting up to dance with the crowd. They have played over 700 shows at venues from the small-town dive bar to the large classic theatre or festival stage. Cobras have played the main stage at Codfish Hollow, the Iowa State Fair, the Iowa Arts Festival and have played the Englert Theatre opening up for big name acts such as Marty Stuart, and Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. The band has also shared the stage and festival line-ups with notable acts such as Joe & Vicki Price, Bob Dorr, Avey Grouws Band, Kent Burnside, Matt Woods, Will Whitmore, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, Them Coulee Boys, Split Lip Rayfield, Legendary Shack Shakers, Ben Miller Band, Fruition, Old Salt Union, Blackberry Bushes, Mountain Sprout, Sam Bush, and even the amazing Travelin’ McCourys.