The Crew
Austin Kaus
Director / Writer / Producer
Austin used to write fake dentist notes to get to all-ages shows at The Pomp Room. With a background in music and writing, his love of The Pomp Room matches his drive for storytelling. His record collection is also pretty solid.
Jesse Yost
Director/ Producer / Producer
Jesse's older brothers would sneak him into the Pomp, where he would eventually take the stage in several bands (The Glory Holes, 12 1/2 Charlies) and be welcomed into the Pomp family. Sometimes. he still leads a Christmas-themed band named Sleigher.
Matt Pinfield
Narrator
Whether you know him from television (MTV, VH1) or radio (WRXP, Sirius XM, KFOG, KLOS), you'll recognize the sound of Matt Pinfield. His kind, gravelly voice has been introducing rock fans to new music for decades, which made him the perfect choice for The Pomp Room: A Rock N Roll Bar Story. At the 2022 Global Rock Summit, Pinfield was presented with the first International Rock Icon of the Year Award for his contributions to music, radio & media. We incorrectly assume the documentary had something to do with that.
Bryan Middleton
Editor
Bryan has been an award-winning editor for South Dakota Public Broadcasting, Media One, and numerous freelance projects. He is a master at what he does. He is also more punk than all of us combined.
Dominic Wieneke
Director of Photography
Dom is an experienced film director, writer, editor, and producer at Warwolf Productions. He won several awards, including Best Short Horror Film at the South Dakota Film Festival. He has written and produced the full-length film "Death Rot" as well as 18 short films.
Billy Yost
Score Composer
As the leader of The Kickback, Billy Yost has graced the pages of Rolling Stone and earned national accolades for his songs and furious live performances. In addition to making music with The Kickback, he has been recording and releasing lo-fi hip hop tracks as Billy Ghost for several years.
Wyatt Holiway
Graphic Designer
Wyatt is a Minneapolis graphic designer in Minneapolis who loves typography, music and his cat, Hobbes. His work in designing the movie's poster & merch cannot be overstated. Even if it was, he'd just be modest about it anyway.
Nick Simon
Executive Producer
A native of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Nick Simon grew up in a mixed-race home where an early interest in film allowed him a view into his Syrian heritage that wasn't reflected in the world around him. The interest in cinema turned to an obsession as Simon began filming the local bands raging against the inertia of Middle America, eventually crafting music videos that played on MTV. Simon moved to Los Angeles in 2006 to attend the American Film Institute, which led to him being mentored by the late horror legend, Wes Craven. Simon has directed and written several feature and television films including "The Girl In The Photographs" (20th Century Fox), "2 Lava 2 Lantula!", "Removal" and "Untitled Horror Movie".
Julie Anderson Friesen
Executive Producer
In addition to working on "Holy Jail" (co-producer), and "The Radio Gamers" (associate producer), Julie is the "mayor" of Cinema Falls. The South Dakota-based organization is dedicated to connecting, engaging, and allowing film to transport, teach, and take viewers into uncharted territory. Cinema Falls works carefully to create screenings and events that celebrate the magic of cinema.
Scot Pickens
Associate Producer
Scot Pickens was a Pomp regular eager to help this documentary see the light of day. After the premiere, he asked Austin & Jesse to sign The Pomp Room sign that hung from the outside of the bar until its closure. Austin almost cried.
Karen Rand
Associate Producer
Karen is a lover of cinema. She is also really good at pranks. Thankfully, her support of this film was not one of them.