Libby Is Dot Com

Playlist: It takes time - Good music doesn't always pop out of nowhere; sometimes we have to search it out

2011-01-22T00:03:00.000-08:00

Web posted January 20, 2011

By Libby Sterling | JUNEAU EMPIRE

If I knew my life was coming to an end at a certain hour, I’d likely become much more protective of my time than I am already. Say I’d been given exactly one month before my days on Earth would end: I probably wouldn’t take a risk on a movie or other entertainment vehicle that might only be so-so when I could participate in some other activity guaranteed to bring enjoyment in my final moments.

I don’t watch a lot of movies for the aforementioned reason — I’m not dying any more quickly than the average human, as far as I know, but I still don’t like to take risks with my time. Perhaps this is why I’m so drawn to music. The time investment is low-risk, the return can be hefty and as a media form, music lends itself well to multitasking.

Despite the vast amounts of incredible new music being created in the world, it’s all too easy to stick with what we know, not venturing into the realm of new releases for fear of wasting money, time or both. For those of you with reservations about investing in the unknown corners of the music world, I’ve done a little bit of the work for you.

“Valhalla Dancehall” by British Sea Power

Despite my unfamiliarity with British Sea Power, which has been around for more than a decade, “Valhalla Dancehall” sounded familiar from first listen. It’s not that the Britpop group doesn’t have its own unique sound — I’ve put the album on my playlist, but I also might not miss it too terribly if it went missing.

Brothers Yan Scott Wilkinson and Neil Hamilton Wilkinson both contribute to the group with vocals that embellish pleasant, yet sometimes overpowering, instrumentals. The tone of their vocals is memorable and provides a different feel than that of other competing bands.

You have to work hard for many of the lyrics, which often sound obscured by filters and buried beneath high instrument levels. Lyrics weren’t easily found online, nor were they included in my electronic review copy, but given that the album was just released last week I’m sure they will start popping up on fan sites in no time.

Musically, this album is high contrast, dynamically covering a lot of ground. Each track varies from the others, one more passive and another more powerful. The group often explores both dark and light areas within a single song, which keeps my ears on their toes.

I can’t say that “Valhalla Dancehall” touches my soul in any particular way, but it’s still surprisingly enjoyable in a way that I don’t feel the need to explain further.

“Cackalack” by Jonathan Byrd

I’ve never been to North Carolina, or any Carolina for that matter, but Jonathan Byrd has got “enough North Carolina in him for everyone” no matter where he goes, writes vocalist Corin Raymond about Byrd’s new release. “Cackalack” was released this week by Waterbug Records, bringing a taste of the Carolinian to the rest of us.

The album reminds me of any Los Angeles County freeway a few hours before or after rush hour proper — stop and go. Things start out with a very down home feel in “Chicken Wire.” The tune bounces along at a moderate tempo with good movement in its simplicity, embellished by conservative banjo picking, awakening fiddling and laid-back group vocals.

Then, just as the momentum is building “Wild Ponies” comes along and takes things down a few notches — far too many notches, in my opinion. Track three, “I Was An Oak Tree,” brings things halfway back up to speed with pretty guitar work leading up to a bit more bounce by the end. By track four, “Reckon I Did,” we’re back down home with rugged fiddling and more of the group singing that gave the album its great start. But don’t get too excited, because things are about to slow down again.

If you like extremely low-key ballads, most of this album’s even-numbered tracks will probably do it for you. If you enjoy a bit of down home bounce as I do, sample more of the odds.

In general, “Cackalack” is tastefully recorded. The high points are really high; I could see myself listening to tunes like “Dungarees Overalls,” “White Oak Wood” and “Chicken Wire” over and over, but I could happily live without the less lively in-betweens. Variety is great, but in this case it’s a bit too dramatic for me. Then again, maybe that’s what North Carolina is all about — I wouldn’t know.

Playlist: Happy Music Year

2011-01-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Web posted January 6, 2011

By Libby Sterling | JUNEAU EMPIRE

New Year’s Day is such a better holiday than Christmas. The only traditional purchase to make is alcohol, which for many isn’t different from any other weekend. The only guilt surrounding the holiday is self-imposed on the subject of resolutions, rather than in relation to gift-getting. There are no rules about how the holiday is to be celebrated — anything goes.

“Happy New Year” is a more generous greeting than most Christmas salutations — it’s one phrase to last a whole 365 days. I received many New Year’s wishes in the last week, but my favorite — and in my judgment the most genuine — came from a runner I passed while on a Jan. 1 run of my own.

When I’m on a run, people in my vicinity probably think I’m a huge jerk. I’m often not wearing my glasses, and if I am the lenses usually end up getting fogged up or covered in rain, so my eyes easily miss anyone who may wave to me from more than six feet away. My ears are also usually plugged with earbuds blasting public radio or some music I’ll be reviewing in a future column. The volume is generally low enough to hear a car sneak up on me, but often too high to hear the “hello” of a human voice.

But as I climbed that hill on Saturday, I passed a man as he descended. He was wearing a healthy grin, one of someone who loves to get out and sweat even on the grayest and soggiest of days. He looked as if he might burst into song as he trod along, and we exchanged the appropriate holiday greeting of the day as we passed. His was much more enthusiastic than mine, and his words transferred an energy to me that I carried with me for the following miles.

Now by this point, the new year is old news, and belated greetings are losing their momentum. However, 2011 is young and we have a lot to look forward to.

Locally, a number of musical events are on the horizon with even more to be announced. The Calder Quartet will grace the Thunder Mountain High School auditorium in March. The Alaska Folk Festival will be held April 11-17 and is sure to be a week of good music overload — start preparing yourselves now. The Southeast Alaska State Fair will be held July 28-31 in Haines, and will feature a number of regional and outside acts. The fair towns of Sitka and Ketchikan will hold their Monthly Grinds throughout the summer — not to mention Prince of Wales Island, the residents of which hold great grinds, so I’ve heard — featuring their local talent and whoever happens to be passing through at the time.

If all else fails, you’ll probably receive a handful of phone calls this year from friends, who will say, “There’s this great band playing tonight that I just heard about, do you want to go check them out with me?” Don’t turn them down.

If you’re bringing an outside act to town, or producing a concert for a local artist, be sure to promote the event appropriately. There’s nothing more disappointing — to the artist and to their potential audience — if the word isn’t effectively spread. Kari Groven at the Juneau Arts & Humanities Council has prepared a very helpful document to assist first-timers in promoting local events. View it at www. jahc.org/services/how-to-promote-your-event.

Internationally, there is more music being created than ever before. This year, I’ll welcome reader suggestions for new releases worth investigating, and I resolve to bring you the best of my findings as I did through boxes of CDs and folders of MP3s. Happy listening.

Playlist: Organized disorder - Some of the world's finest music has roots in seeming chaos

2011-01-21T23:58:00.000-08:00

Web Posted December 30, 2010

By Libby Sterling | Juneau Empire

You may never suspect it, but a lot of your friends and colleagues are living life by the skin of their teeth. Even the ones who seem to have things especially together may be the most frazzled in the privacy of their own home. Here at this season of end-of-year deadlines piled on top of regular daily business, your so-called perfect fellow humans are likely losing sleep trying to maintain their sanity.

The evidence may or may not be obvious, but if you look hard enough you'll see it's there - maybe their desk or apartment is messier than usual, or their ungroomed hair is well-hidden beneath a really cute hat. Some try harder than others to conceal their lack of togetherness, and some care more than others whether or not their image is damaged by the slipups.

Either way, none of us are perfect, and I like to think that those of us who embrace this truth are the most content in life, regardless of what our cohorts may think. The chaos many of us try to avoid is greatly celebrated in certain circles. Musically, some of the best tunes ever created were born out of chaos, the best of which can be tough to recreate.

Jazz has often been described as "organized chaos." Depending on one's perspective, the seeming lawlenessness of a jazz trio can provoke different reactions - to an untrained listener, understanding need not precede enjoyment, but to a member of the trio, the music may seem anything but lawless.

It would be foolish of me to attempt to dissect the origins or explain the anatomy of jazz or free form music, but I will suggest a few recent releases that have enhanced my relationship with the genre.

"Entanglement" by Harp 46

Harpist April Stace Vega has never let the oddity of her instrument keep her from pursuing styles of music in which a harp wouldn't typically be found. She has performed with the instrument in rock and classical settings, and now collaborates with percussionist and dulcimerist Nucleo Vega and bassist Posido Vega under the name Harp 46.

This, the group's first album, is strong for a debut. First of all, it captures my attention simply because of the instrumental diversity, but the variance doesn't stop there. From beginning to end, the album explores a handful of different styles, some with a definite classical influence, others journeying into the realms of rock.

If you hate the timbre of harp in general, the creativeness and originality found in this album may not be enough to please you. In any case, "Entanglement" offers a unique listening experience that will take your ears to new places from which they may never fully return.

"Looking For..." by Steve Ramsdell

This one is a couple years old, but to me it is a new discovery. Guitarist Steve Ramsdell and his buddies create a nice mix of many things on this album, a journey from structure to freedom and back again. With a master's degree in jazz pedagogy and a bachelor's in guitar performance, Ramsdell is well-qualified to stretch music the way that he does.

He describes and briefly comments on each track in the CD's liner notes, even describing each song's time signature, or lack thereof. Track nine, "Red Box," is described as "7/8 for the most part ... acoustic ... an episode composed in Sedona, Arizona ... red rocks, shifting meters, etc..." Other pieces beat up to 11, while a few free solos and duets prove that no consistent beat is necessary for a song's success.

If it weren't for Ramsdell's notations, I'd need to leave many tracks on repeat until I could accurately count to them and figure them out. His compositions are complex, yet totally digestible and pleasant on every occasion. I'd highly recommend "Looking For..." to longtime jazz lovers and newcomers alike.

"One Stolen Night" by the John Jorgenson Quintet

John Jorgenson and his gypsy jazz cohorts have put together a fine product in "One Stolen Night," released earlier this year. Jason Anick's violinning, which often doubles a melody also played by the guitar, is superb. The groove is set from the very first track, "Red on Red," with Anick's fiddle and Jorgenson's guitar solos backed by Simon Planting on bass, Rick Reed on percussion and Kevin Nolan on rhythm guitar. Though things slow down a bit after this, by track four, "Mediterranean Blues," it's clear that the momentum is still building.

There is so much liveliness in gypsy jazz - there are certainly similarities to other types of jazz, including the most traditional forms, but there's a uniqueness about the style that a lot of people, myself included, can't get enough of. One element is certainly the violin, which only occasionally appears in most jazz sets.

I know I already mentioned him a few inches ago, but Anick really kills it all over this album. Regardless, I wouldn't go changing the name of the quartet as Jorgenson truly is the star of this show, switching seamlessly between lead guitar, bouzouki (a Greek mandolin-type instrument), clarinet and soprano saxophone, and even throwing in a vocal line on "Dr. Jazz."

This music would be great for dancing or lovely at a party, but it's also great for simply sitting and contemplating. However, if the latter is your preferred listening method, I doubt you'll be sitting for too long before your toes voluntarily begin to tap.

Playlist: New essentials

2011-01-21T23:52:00.000-08:00

Web Posted December 23, 2010

By Libby Sterling | Juneau Empire

Ah, the holidays. This is the time of year when my addiction to so-called "Christmas" music is briefly viewed as normal behavior. Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker" and Vince Guaraldi's soundtracks to the "Peanuts" television specials are some of the most popular year-round tunes on my playlist, but they have caused raised eyebrows among friends when I've put them on out of season.

Somehow, this season I've had too much else in my headphones to flip on "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" more than a couple of times. This year's music scene has surprised me with a few titles I hadn't been expecting, but have now become essentials that I can't live without.

"Big Echo" by The Morning Benders

My introduction to this group was via a friend's recommendation to view an online video of a live performance of the album's first track, "Excuses." In the video, the four-piece became an orchestra directed by lead singer Christopher Chu, in his attempt to create the "wall of sound" he felt the piece deserved. In the video, violins open the tune, playing the part that is just as excellently played on guitar on the album version of the song. Each recording captures a composition that is everything I've ever wanted in a song; dynamics, instrumental variety, balance, emotion and thought. It's lyrically strong as well, with lines like "I made an excuse / you found another way to tell the truth ..."

I haven't yet bonded with the rest of the album as much as I have with "Excuses," but it's all worthy of dedicated listening time. The ratio of upbeat to mellow numbers is satisfying, and the momentum builds to the end with a grand finale on track ten, "Sleeping In." This album is one to keep on the top shelf for a while.

"Penny Sparkle" by Blonde Redhead

Given my general pickiness in female vocalists, I'm surprised how much I have enjoyed the music of Blonde Redhead over the years. The voice of lead singer Kazu Makino is unique; its range is broad and sounds overstretched in the higher registers, even - dare I say - whiny at times. Normally, this would drive me to delete an album from my library, but there's something about Makino and her bandmates that instantly drew me into their sound from the beginning and have kept them on my list of favorites for some time.

The feel of "Penny Sparkle" is both familiar and new in comparison to their past work. On first listen, its first five tracks brought me abreast to the modifications they've made to their sound since their last couple albums - smoother instrumentals, more mellow vocals and more of a spacey feel, for lack of a better term. Then, upon hearing track five, "Oslo," I was instantly taken back to the first time I heard their 1997 release, "Fake Can Be Just As Good." Until "Oslo," it seems as if Makino had been holding back a bit on the vocals, waiting for the perfect time to get back to her basics. The rest of the album continues in this vein, as if the band felt they needed to try something new for a bit to get it out of their system, but then get back to their raw signature sound, contemporized as it may be.

Blonde Redhead's individual songs stand well on their own, but this isn't the type of group I'd recommend buying singles from unless you want to miss out on the big picture they create with their full-length releases. It's obvious there is a large amount of thought put into their albums as a whole, if not also in the progression of their entire catalog. There isn't a single song they have released that I wouldn't recommend for purchase.

"Let Me Come Home" by Broken Records

This is Broken Records' second album, yet the first time I've heard of them. The seven-piece band is based in the UK, where "Let Me Come Home" was released in October; the album is scheduled for release in North America in January.

Even though I've never heard Broken Records' music, there is a familiarity that makes it easy to listen to from the beginning. If you like Arcade Fire, you'll find a similar progressive sound in Broken Records. Lead singer Jamie Sutherland also bears a striking audible resemblance to Will Oldham (better known as Bonnie "Prince" Billy).

There are more instruments involved than you may realize at first - accordions, cellos, trumpets and pianos compliment the traditional guitars, bass and drums to create a sound that's not too full and not too sparse, but just right. Goldilocks would be proud.

Playlist: The blues are better in small spaces

2011-01-21T23:47:00.000-08:00

Web posted December 2, 2010

By Libby Sterling | Juneau Empire

The blues - we hate when we have them, but love when we hear them. It's hard to have anything but admiration for a genre founded on making lemonade out of some really nasty lemons.

As a musician, my favorite way to experience the blues is from the inside, or at least from as close as I can get to it. If I'm not a part of the jam myself, I want to be as close to its leader as possible as I listen and watch. Blues is an all-inclusive style of music that best exists with no audience - that is, the audience becomes a part of the band, whether their contribution be singing along, tapping their foot or simply nodding their head to the tune. Anyone just sitting still and listening from a distance may be enjoying a good show, but they're missing out on the best part.

It's hard to get personal with blues musicians at a stadium show - hard, but not impossible. When an opportunity comes along to attend a performance in a more intimate venue, one shouldn't rather stay home to shampoo their hair.

So let your heads get greasy, Juneau, because John Lee Hooker Jr. is in town. If you weren't able to catch his performance at Centennial Hall, don't fret because we have the chance to get friendly with him over the next three nights at the Rendezvous. I've sampled Hooker's newest release, "Live In Istanbul Turkey," to get a taste of what we might be in for.

Hooker's talent isn't surprising, as he is the son of one of the legends of the blues, John Lee Hooker. While Jr. has certainly been influenced by his senior, it seems he has infused his own individuality into his music - and Jr. has good taste.

There's nothing worse than an album that is full of songs that are identical - the key of G is lovely the first time and alright the second, but by the third and beyond, our ears crave change. I've come across many blues recordings and performers who are oblivious to the joys of variety, but luckily Hooker is not one of them. Sure, many of his songs sound alike, but such is the way of the blues, and there is definitely enough change from track to track to keep my interest.

"Live In Istanbul Turkey" highlights Hooker's ability to draw in a crowd. He addresses his audience directly on numerous occasions, and encourages their participation. "Doin' The Boogie" is a fine example of this that sounds like fun to me, so if he doesn't play it at the concert, request it.

Catch Hooker at 8 p.m tonight and at 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Rendezvous. Tickets are available in advance and at the door. For details, contact Rendezvous owner Deb Barry at 321-6125.

Playlist: The Meaning of Live

2010-11-25T23:05:00.000-08:00

Web posted November 25, 2010

By Libby Sterling | Juneau Empire

The live album — it's no new phenomenon. The first musicians to make recordings did so in a live setting, and they probably never imagined the possibility of the multitrack technology that has now become the norm in the industry. But there's something about capturing the many elements of an unperfected stage performance that keeps the live albums coming.

Bluegrass/country sensations The Avett Brothers like live albums so much that they've put out three, the most recent of which was released last month. After a month of studying "Live Volume 3" in addition to years of listening to their previous releases, I have lots of thoughts.

This is a band whose music takes me to both high and low places, whose songs make me cry one minute and laugh the next. Their ballads are sung with words that reach deep inside me and conjure emotions I didn't even know I was capable of feeling. What's more, their hoedowns are fun-filled and cause every muscle in my body to involuntarily dance along. The Brothers do it all, and they make me want to do it, too.

Having spent so much time with these boys singing their songs in my ears, I have fashioned in my mind how I imagine them to be as people. I've gathered from their soulful, loving lyrics that they must be the most passionate partners a girl could ever want — lovers who say the right things, who sing lyrics that rival those of any love song ever written. Then again, there's always the possibility that they're just faking it all for ratings. If so, they've got a really good gimmick going, and have caused lots of fans to genuinely fall in love with them in the process.

So, after more than a dozen releases, including two other live albums, why release a third? The songs have been heard before, and in their original recordings they can be enjoyed sans screaming audience. Shrieking fans bother me enough at shows, so why would I invite them into my living room?

Charlotte, North Carolina's enthusiasm elevates as the album rolls along. Luckily, they don't sing along with all the words in every song, just the lines that are easy to remember. They offer tumultuous support when an unfixable fib is made in one of the first songs in the show. Their rapturous cheering also buys them a three-song encore. Though less fanatical, the band appears to have just as much fun as the crowd, voicing their appreciation for their fans multiple times throughout the set.

"It's real difficult to sound sincere on a microphone, but we love you all, too, in a very big way," Seth Avett says in response to thunderous applause after the live rendition of one of my favorite tunes of theirs, "When I Drink."

The production quality is a bit higher in this album than in the first two live recordings. Each musician is clearly heard and balanced well with the other stage elements. The clinking of bar glasses that can be heard in "Live Volume 2" don't appear in this latest release, nor does the occasional out-of-tune note with which their first live title is littered.

If it is personality that a listener is seeking in their musicians, they'll find much more of it in a live recording than in a product that has been perfected — and possibly dehumanized — in the studio. "Live Volume 3" contains minimal music recesses between tracks, but each tidbit of banter reveals another side of the music and the songwriters behind it.

The live aspect of each song, sung a bit differently than we're used to hearing it, gives a fresh perspective on tunes that have been spun the same exact way hundreds of times. Here and there, a vocalist will take a liberty, embellish a line, revise a lyric or simply change the emphasis of a certain phrase to breathe new possibilities into interpretation. Songs that have provoked so much thought and emotion in the studio recordings are now taking a second shot at the hearts of their listeners, and their shot is right on target.

I'd still rather see them live with my own eyeballs, but if a live disc is the closest I'm going to get, I'll take it.

'Dance' a delight even for a couch potato

2010-11-11T23:10:00.000-08:00

Web posted November 11, 2010

By Libby Sterling | Juneau Empire

Hundreds of fiddlers record albums full of tunes each year. Some write their own original music, while others attempt to play tunes as closely as possible to the way they are traditional rooted. Others still cling to the traditional aspects of tunes they have come to love, but also infuse them with their own spices and interpretations.

Vermont-based Lissa Schneckenburger is a fiddler of the latter persuasion. Her September release, "Dance," features 10 traditional tunes with her twist put on them. She chose to record tunes that have been played by fiddlers over hundreds of years, translating them in her own way to speak to what she called "a new generation of musicians."

From "Petronella" to "Jamie Allen," the album is a delight. As its title implies, these are certainly dance tunes. Each of which is attached to a particular traditional dance of the contra persuasion. But unlike many dance CDs, "Dance" isn't just a marathon of marches. Its pace and tone changes from track to track, walking the line between lively and relaxing and therefore appropriate for both morning and end-of-day listening. So one may spin the disc while lounging on the couch, but it's likely that some of the livelier tracks will at least lead listeners to tap their toes in appreciation.

The fiddle is featured as the album's main voice backed by guitar, but a handful of other instruments are sprinkled here and there for good measure - a walking bass line, a few plinks of a banjo, toots of horns and a piano accordion that plays alongside the fiddle like a good friend.

Schneckenburger will bring the sounds of New England to the far west with series of performances and a workshop in Southeast Alaska. Accompanied by guitarist Bethany Waickman, Schneckenburger will begin this weekend in Sitka with fiddle and guitar workshops at noon at Blatchley Middle School, followed by a 7 p.m. performance at the Sitka Performing Arts Center. Waickman and Schneckenburger will then hit the road for a performance at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Juneau. Their last Alaskan appearance will be Tuesday at the College Coffeehouse in Fairbanks.

Lament of pumpkins gone to waste

2010-11-04T23:07:00.000-07:00

Web posted November 4, 2010

By Libby Sterling | Juneau Empire

These few days after Halloween make me sad. All over town beautiful, juicy pumpkin meat left to rot in the rain. I think of all the soups, pies and other baked goods that could have been made with the food that is now nothing more than compost. All those seeds that could have so easily become toasted snacks for us are instead going back to the earth.

There is a bright spot in these post-jack-o'-lantern times - pumpkin prices drop dramatically as the demand for carving squash suddenly dies. They came a long way to get here; don't let all this imported biomass go to waste.

October gave way not only to a bountiful harvest, but also to a crop of new releases in the music world. As with any culinary recipe, some ingredients were mixed more successfully than others, but none are failures. Some selections fill the ears of their listeners with perhaps more auditory calories than are needed, but there are morsels of goodness within each one.

"The Fool" by Warpaint

My taste is very picky when it comes to vocalists. It's hard to put a finger on exactly what the qualities I look for in a singer; it's more of a case-by-case basis. To be honest, in this case I'm not completely thrilled.

Warpaint is a female quartet out of Los Angeles whose sound has been described as hypnotic post-punk. As far as instruments are concerned, these girls are doing alright. They use their guitars and drums to create a thick, layered sound. However, if this were a war between voices and instruments, the vocals may as well surrender - in most cases they aren't strong enough to compete with the music in what is supposed to be the background. Oft-flat vocal lines are consistently buried so far under the layers of instruments that there's no hope of understanding the lyrics. This leads me to believe that these ladies don't put much emphasis on their words - not that there's anything wrong with that.

That said, a certain track did catch my attention enough to be noted. In track six, "Baby," Warpaint stripped away enough of their usual layers for a beautiful song to emerge - the best track on the whole album. The vocals are solid and easily distinguishable above a simple acoustic guitar part. The background vocals are sprinkled on top in moderation, creating interesting intervals that probably wouldn't be most musicians' first choice, but they work very well in this piece. This song is so good, it makes me wonder if I missed something in the previous five tracks, so I go back and listen again. The verdict: it's a little better after another time through, but "Baby" still has something to it that the rest of the album just doesn't.

"Weather" by Annie Gallup

Annie Gallup is a poet. I was struck with this as soon as her disc began to spin in my player. Her chosen verbiage is satisfying and pleasant. She tells stories of important events in her own, unique way - just the way I like to hear them.

Gallup's backup band is fabulous, consisting of a traditional string quartet. This is rare for most singer-songwriters, but I applaud Gallup for taking the risk in ditching her guitar. It works. The entire album is backed with the strings bowing and plucking away to create a unique soundscape to highlight Gallup's vocals.

So Gallup's lyrics are great and the background music is great, but the two of them don't quite mix. I'm torn between the two sides - letting loose in the midst of beautiful string arrangements vs. listening to Gallup's truly interesting lyrics, which require intense focus. Her vocal parts are just too wordy and delivered too quickly to properly balance with the peaceful movement of the string parts.

I'd rather like to hear her lyrics read as spoken word, and I get my wish in tracks four and six, "Sixty Eight" and "Late," respectively. In the first, Gallup speaks boldly above a strong cello's pluck, leaving ample reflection space between stanzas. In the second, Gallup's fast-paced delivery of words, which hurts her in other numbers, finally works to her advantage.

It's clear that Gallup has stuff to say, and it's clear that she has good taste in backup bands. This is, unfortunately, another example of very cool ingredients just not mixed as successfully as they could have been.

Playlist: Red Molly transcends electricity

2010-10-14T14:40:00.001-07:00

Web posted October 7, 2010

By Libby Sterling | Juneau Empire
There's nothing like a power outage to focus a creative worker. I relearned this lesson firsthand during Tuesday's blackout.
I was home at the time, beginning to type this very column. I was fighting the many distractions that come with computer work - unanswered e-mails, breaking news updates and sales on winter gear. The lights had been flickering all morning as the wind and rain hammered down on us, so I wasn't surprised when the electricity gave out entirely.
I was unsure whether or not the outage was area-wide, but a call to the office confirmed that I shouldn't travel there in search of voltage.
Luckily, I had a pencil and paper handy and a stack of freshly split spruce begging to be burnt. I ignored my half-cycled washing machine, resisted the urge to organize the junk drawer (though I nearly had to in order to find a pencil sharpener) and sat down to write the old-fashioned way.
Abbie Gardner, Laurie MacAllister and Carolann Solebello don't need manufactured electricity to do what they do best - harmonize. The Red Molly members discovered their vocal compatibility at a campsite during an East Coast folk festival. That was six years ago, and since that first song they have brought their music to stages all over the country.
The buzz about these women has been everywhere; their music has been playing on radio stations locally and nationally, and I've been hearing rave reviews from friends in the Anchorage area, where concerts were performed over the weekend. The group will be in Juneau on Sunday to play a set in the folk-friendly Resurrection Lutheran Church, but not before first stopping in Sitka on Friday and in Ketchikan on Saturday.
Judging by their fourth and newest release, "James," I'd bet Red Molly is a fun group to see live. Anyone can create perfect vocal harmonies in a studio, but to witness the act right in front of your ears is truly special. I have loads of appreciation for anyone who puts in the hours of practice necessary to pull off three-part harmonies (and stay friends) in song after song, especially while taking turns singing the lead part as these three do.
"James" starts right off with such vocals in "The Last Call," featuring instruments in only the last half of the song. That's another thing: these ladies aren't just great singers. They also provide their own instrumental soundscape, complete with guitar, bass, banjo and Dobro on stage. "James" also features guest artists (all males, coincidently) on bass, percussion, fiddle, mandolin, piano and one vocal part.
"James" is a collection of songs, with two composed by Gardner. One of them, "Troubled Mind," is one of my favorites on the album. Its melodies are catchy, springing from the tune's minor base and accompanied by bluesy instrumentals. "Lookin' for Trouble" is my other top pick, which also features minor chords and a slow blues feel.
The album equally balances slow-paced tunes with quicker numbers, the quickest of which are "The End of the Line," "Troubled Mind," "Jezebel," "Tear My Stillhouse Down," "Poor Boy" and "Can't Let Go."
My official recommendation: go see this group in concert, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Resurrection Lutheran Church. Even if the power goes out again, I'm sure it won't deter them from giving you an evening to remember.

Playlist: The bliss of pop culture ignorance

2010-09-28T17:57:00.000-07:00

Web posted September 23, 2010

By Libby Sterling | Juneau Empire

I was recently chided for my lack of familiarity with Casey Kasem, a radio personality and voice actor who apparently influenced much of America during his nearly 60-year career. For those who also don't know, Kasem is most popular for his role as Shaggy in the "Scooby-Doo" cartoon and as host of the "American Top 40" radio countdown show - he told America what to listen to.
My ignorance to Kasem's existence could possibly be attributed to my age. During the peak of his career, I was busy making stop-motion Playmobil films and dressing up my highly tolerant cats in costumes - being a kid, basically. But I'd like to think that my unawareness of Kasem's reach is due to the way I was brought up to experience the world.
I grew up without cable TV; in its stead, I clung to public broadcasting, the daily news and my local library as my main sources of what was hip and happening at the time. Ask me about LeVar Burton, the Mario Bros. or Bill Watterson's comics, and we'll have something on which to base our conversation. But when it comes to most items of the '80s and '90s mainstream, I've always been pretty removed, clueless when it comes to trivia.
Fast forward to present day. I'll admit, the Internet has enhanced the way that we experience pop culture. It's more difficult to opt-out of marketing messages. Nonetheless, I've found that I still embrace many of the anti-influence habits from my childhood as an adult. I don't much value television - at least not enough to pay for it. I quickly tired of Facebook, and my MySpace page sits dormant, all its direct marketing going to waste.
I don't seem to have trouble following the news of the local music scene, but when it comes to national and world music, it's easy to fall behind. I often don't learn of new releases from artists I think I'm following until well after used copies of the CD are available on Amazon for a penny plus shipping.
Subsequently, I'm forced from time to time to go on the hunt for some new-to-me music to add to my library. Sometimes a friend will supply a much-appreciated tip, but last week I decided to do some digging of my own in unknown territory, not sure of what I'd find. I tossed aside handfuls of mediocre titles, but four albums stood out that I deemed worthy of mention. For all I know, they may already be famous, winning awards and appearing on billboards across the nation. But to me they are simply a breath of fresh, musical air.

Paul Curreri, "California"
I have large respect for the album as an art form, and it's my guess that Paul Curreri does, too. Even from first listen, it's clear that this 2009 release has a clearly constructed beginning, middle and end. The album starts moderately and modestly with "Now I Can Go On," and things really start to warm up by track two, "Once Upon A Rooftop," in which Curreri's fancy, yet accessible guitar work begins to fly, accompanying his comforting vocals.
While it is cohesive as a whole, each piece in "California" has a different attitude. Some feel like the desert, some allude to the cowboy on the cover, and some make me get all existential. My favorite by far is the title track, "California," for its simplicity and equally for its technical complexity. The song is stripped down to fingerstyle guitar and vocals, and it is composed in a way that really gets inside of me. It makes me want to play music too, and that's one of the highest compliments I can give to any musician. But I have one complaint: I wish so much that the song would just end, rather than simply fading out - what a buzz kill.

Shayfer James, "The Owl & The Elephant"
This album is fun from the get-go, with a drum roll and bold piano chords beginning track one, "Life Is Beautiful." Lyrically, the song picks up somewhere near the climax of an adventure story in which the heroes are about to find their way to safety after having just faced some sort of perilous situation. The piano base continues throughout the album, accompanied by all manner of instruments from strings to bells.
The tunes range from ballady to epic, most featuring narrative lyrics that tell gripping tales. The most dramatic, "Every Fallen Feather," evokes pictures in my mind of the characters being sung about. Its impassioned storyline is set to an emotive tune.
If you're not one for paying attention to lyrics, I bet you'll still appreciate this album's musical arrangements. Even if all the stories were sung in a foreign language, "The Owl & The Elephant" would still make for an enjoyable listening experience.

The Rescues, "Let Loose the Horses"
I'm not as instantly drawn to this album as the others reviewed in this column, but something about it keeps me from dismissing it entirely. The Rescues create an interesting sound, featuring both male and female vocals over a traditional rock band grouping of instruments - guitars with varying amounts as well as the absence of distortion, drums that reverberate as if in a stadium, punchy bass lines and occasional instrumental solos. But even with standard instrumentation, it's the arrangements in this album that stand out to me. The sound that is created ends up being a few steps above the typical, often predictable alt-pop stuff you see everywhere these days.
If you only want to spend a few dollars on this band, spend them on "Can't Stand The Rain," "The City And The River," "Stay Over" and "Stranger Keeper." Coincidently, these tracks are all located near the end of the album, where the best stuff usually hides.

Vincent Minor, "Vincent Minor"
By this point I'm way over my word limit, but I can't let this find go unmentioned. I have fond memories of listening to this album, even though I've only spun through it a few times. Officially released on Tuesday, this is Vincent Minor's debut album, and I eagerly hope this isn't the last that we will hear from him.
The music has a timeless feeling to it. It's also unassuming and natural. I picture Minor in his Los Angeles apartment, silencing the ring of his telephone as he composes piece after piece while hunched over his piano, all the while stylishly dressed.
The feeling I get from listening to this album reminds me of the fun I've had over the years listening to The Verve and Badly Drawn Boy, yet I hate to draw comparisons. "Vincent Minor" is unique, a mixed-media painting in a gallery full of black-and-white photographs. The album's tasteful integration of varying levels of orchestration into its songs is well-balanced; there's a lot going on all at once, but it all blends together to create one unit. With each listen of this album in the future, I foresee discovering something I never noticed before.

Playlist: 'The Way Out' is The Books' thrifting at their finest

2010-08-26T14:34:00.000-07:00

Web-posted August 26, 2010

By Libby Sterling | Juneau Empire
In the first seconds of The Books' newest album, "The Way Out," listeners are greeted by the voice of a man offering the opportunity of a new beginning. He introduces the experience that is about to be had by noting that the following will be "music specifically created for its pleasurable effects upon your mind, body and emotions."
Apparently, the music is also "mixed with a warm, orange-colored liquid." After an instrumental interlude, a different man's voice appears, offering to be our guide in a journey. "I hope to be of help without intruding any more than is absolutely necessary," he says.
Plinks and planks of bass and guitar strings start softly, crescendoing as percussion and vocal lines drift in and out of the soundscape. More guiding voices appear and disappear, offering advice that seems to be building with the music until the track is over. Then it's on to number two.
This style of auditory collage is what characterizes The Books. For the past 10 years, band members Paul de Jong and Nick Zammuto have scoured East Coast thrift stores for tapes containing interesting audio clips that they'd like to use in their songs. Backed by cello, guitar, toys and other instruments as various as the audio samples they acquire, they interject their own lyrics into multi-layered compositions.
The natures and topics of The Books' collected samples are endless. "The Way Out" begins and ends with "Group Autogenics," hypnotic recordings mixed in a lighthearted style, yet with thoughtful undertones. By track four, listeners experience "A Cold Freezin' Night," which features the voices of children expressing their anger at others using violent words, accompanied by a fast-paced musical backdrop.
Near the middle of the album, "Thirty Incoming" uses voicemail messages to paint a portrait of a man in love. Dial tones and answering machine beeps are remixed with strings, vocal tones and heartbeat-like drums that build and build, suggesting strong emotion. The song truly is a journey, as are most by The Books. Their ability to compile contrasting content into cohesive compositions is strong, and they pursue their craft with professional dedication.
In form with their previous albums, it's not necessarily necessary to separate each track as its own song. Actually, in most cases, to do so would rob the listener of the big picture that the individual pieces combine to create.
In a book, each chapter is partitioned by pages but is informed by and so informs the others. Similarly, each track on "The Way Out" acts as a bridge between the previous and the subsequent. But it also stands alone as its own unique work, perhaps sharing properties with others but also containing attributes all its own.
Like a good book, new things are noticed each time through. I've been listening to The Books' other albums, "The Lemon Of Pink," "Thought For Food," and "Lost and Safe," diligently for years and I still uncover fresh discoveries with each new spin.
Their current record label, Temporary Residence, catalogs the band as "eclectic, innovative electronic-folk-pop that are so ahead of their time that your kids will be ripping them off." Perhaps they are ahead of their time, but their music creates a listening experience that brings me back to simpler times. Perhaps their technique could be considered electronic, but the analog nature of their mixing implies splicing tape more so than manipulating code with computer software.
I've often been disappointed in the past at the lack of material available about The Books' music. Their CD jackets never came with lyrics, and it was difficult to find official commentary online. I want to know where they found this or that sample, why they chose to compile it in the way that they did and how they experienced their own music as they made it. Well, "The Way Out" is the first Books album that comes with full lyrics in the liner notes.
If that's not enough - and it isn't for me - their blog explains in detail much of what you'd want to know about each song on the album. But before you read it all, be sure that you're really ready to see what is behind the curtain - just because it has been opened doesn't mean you have to look inside. After all, half of the magic behind the music is in the mystery.
Learn more at www.thebooksmusic.com.

The Final Track: Capital Records closes its doors

2009-01-16T18:00:00.000-08:00

Photo by Libby Sterling / Capital City Weekly

Closing shop: Capital Records owner Rob Cohen, right, and employee Spenser Thomas, left, hold up some of their favorite records among the seemingly endless stacks of music in the store. Thomas shows "The Velvet Underground & Nico" by the Velvet Underground, and Cohen holds "The Who Sell Out" by The Who. The store will close at the end of the month.

Web posted January 16, 2009

By Libby Sterling | CAPITAL CITY WEEKLY

JUNEAU - They're dropping like flies. Small, independently-owned record stores all over the country are going out of business faster than they can be remembered. Juneau's own Capital Records will take its place in the record store graveyard at the end of January, when it plans to close its doors for good.

"For music shops, the writing has been on the wall for a while," said Rob Cohen, owner of Capital Records since 1997. He said that with more and more people acquiring their music through digital means, it has become more difficult for stores like his to stay in business.

"Large record companies themselves are putting all their energy toward digital, so when the people who make what you sell don't want you to be the ones selling it, you sort of take a clue from that," Cohen said.

He believes since Juneau is a smaller town with a more locally-minded clientele, his business was able to stay afloat longer than many larger stores in the Lower 48. His shop also has benefited from cruise ship tourists and crew members during the summer, which has been the bump they've needed to make it through the rest of the year.

For many of the store's loyal customers, it's sad enough that they will now have to travel to Fred Meyer, Wal-Mart, or amazon.com to purchase hard copies of music. On top of that, many feel this is the demise of a social institution in the community.

"It's so much more than just a place to buy something," Cohen said. "It's a social nexus, a place where people meet, talk and interact. There's a human element to it that's a little clunky from a 21st century mentality."

Ed Blair is one of the many people who are sad to see Capital Records close. An avid record collector, Blair hosts a radio show Saturday nights on KRNN called "Our City Is Burning." He airs everything from hip-hop to punk rock and heavy metal.

"It's awful 'High Fidelity' of me, but there's something neat and special about a music store that you can go into that isn't owned by a big corporation," Blair said.

One of his favorite elements of the record store experience is the impulse buy. Buying music on the Internet is very intentional, he said. However, when wandering around in a record store, you never know what you may find.

"I was down at Capital Records this summer and found 'Mule Variations' by Tom Waits," Blair said. "I wasn't looking specifically for that record, but finding it was really awesome."

Finn Straley, of Sitka, was browsing through the store while in town last week, looking for the new Animal Collective album.

"I can't believe this place is closing," Straley said. "I can't imagine Juneau without this place."
The business has served as more than just a place of commerce in its twenty years of its existence. Cohen described it as "an interface to the community" in spreading awareness of local cultural events. He recalled when big bands like the Misfits came to town and signed autographs out of his store.

Cohen said he realizes that his industry is tough even in the best of times, let alone during a national economic crisis.

"I've known this day would come for a while," Cohen said. "There's no use being a relic ... just because you enjoy it personally."

Even though his storefront will soon no longer exist, Cohen plans to continue his role in Juneau's music community. With more time on his hands, he hopes to perform more often, playing in a jazz trio with other local musicians. He also plans to teach music lessons, both private and group-oriented. He said it's one thing to teach one person to master their instrument as a soloist, but it's a whole different ballgame to get people to learn how to play together as a functioning ensemble.

"I'm going to miss the people, folks coming in and having an opportunity to interact," Cohen said.

In hopes of liquidating the many stacks of CDs, LPs and DVDs that surround the store's small amount of walking space, everything will be on sale with a minimum of 30 percent off, and LPs will be 50 percent off. Special orders will still be taken at full price through the end of the month. The last day of business will be Jan. 31.

"I'm going to move on," Cohen said. "I have no regrets. It was a good ride while it lasted."

The Microphone Is Open: At least one local musician has performed at open mike since it began in '91

2008-12-29T12:17:00.000-08:00

Photo by Libby Sterling

Singer-guitarist Brook Morgan performs with drummer David Sheakley at last Thursday's open mike at the Alaskan Hotel & Bar. The weekly forum, in its 18th year, is open to all performers.

Web Posted December 18, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

Alaskan Bar's weekly musical forum going strong for 18 years and counting
All musicians have to start someplace. Even singers that have now become legendary had to perform for the first time in front of someone, somewhere. Open mike is often the best outlet for amateur performers to bring their art to meet the public.
Dan Minuskin started hosting an open mike at the Alaskan Hotel & Bar in 1991 and it has been going on most Thursday nights since. Between then and now, the event has been hosted by many other local musicians, including Teri Tibbett, Scott Fry, Sean Tracey and Scott Burton, to name a few.
"I enjoyed it," Minuskin said. "It gave me a reason to learn new songs, practice, and be in the thick of things one day a week. It kept me in the groove of performing and gave me something to work toward every week."
While it's great to have a good host, the whole point of open mike is that it is open to the public. Just about anyone who has anything to say, sing, or play has equal opportunity to perform. The Alaskan has seen every type of act, from limericks and throat singing to sonatas and hoedowns.
"There were quite a few people who were regulars, who would show up every week and do a 15-minute set. It was their 15 minutes of fame," Minuskin said.
Singer-songwriter Brian Sullivan has been one of the most loyal performers at open mike, having missed only a few weeks here and there in the 18 years of its existence.
"If you ask Dan, he remembers when I wasn't so good. I was just starting to write, but he'll tell you that I've come a million miles, and that's because of playing down there every week. I probably have a bachelor's degree in music from hanging out in the Alaskan," Sullivan said.
"Brian Sullivan is really the authority on the open mike," Minuskin said.
Originally from Ohio, Sullivan said he chose to settle in Juneau because of the musical opportunities that exist here - not only for professionals, but for amateurs as well.
"There's a tight music community here. We all help each other out," Sullivan said, adding that one of his favorite things about open mike is the opportunity to play with other musicians. By the end of the night, it has often turned into one big jam session.
"Not too many places have opportunities for us amateurs to get up there in front of a big audience and test the water," Sullivan said. "It's been a good experience for me because I'm a writer. I've gotten to write all these songs and work them out on stage in front of a live audience, and I get to look at peoples' faces while I'm playing and know if I've got a winner or not."
Throughout the years, there have been peaks and lulls as far as musician and spectator turnout depending on the time of year, the weather, and other events going on in town.
"You should have seen it, some of the years in there, it was a zoo. There was a line all the way down the street just to get in for open mike. It was nuts," Sullivan said.
"Over time it's become much more of an institution. It was a little more rough and muddy back in the early '90s when we were doing it," Minuskin said.
Open mike still takes place Thursdays at the Alaskan from 9 p.m. until everyone is all played out.

Juneau Bach Society Isn't Bach Exclusive: Handel will also be featured at winter concert

2008-12-09T21:58:00.000-08:00

Photo by Libby Sterling

Web Posted December 4, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

If one were to Google "Bach society," they'd come up with thousands of sites about various musical organizations around the world. These groups vary in function, but each is centered around the celebration of music by this pretty cool dude who lived back during the Baroque era.

Johann Sebastian Bach left such a legacy that even Juneau has its own Bach Society. It doesn't come up in a Web search, since there is no Web site, but the society may be better off without one.

"I have more fun putting concerts together than doing Web sites," said Bruce Simonson, the Juneau Bach Society's founder and music director.

Active since 1988, the Juneau group is composed of volunteer singers and instrumentalists who share the vision to keep this cherished music alive and thriving. They will celebrate the continuing legacy of Johann with two performances this weekend at the Northern Light United Church. The program will consist of Bach's "Magnificat in D," George Frideric Handel's "Music for the Royal Fireworks," and Bach's "Cantata 192 (Nun danket alle Gott)."

The "Magnificat," based on a text in the Biblical Gospel of Luke, expresses the canticle of the Virgin Mary after she was informed that she would be giving birth to Jesus.

"It's a masterpiece in terms of how concise it is and how packed full of ideas it is," Simonson said. "It's one of those works you could study for a lifetime and keep finding new things."

The German words "Nun danket alle Gott" in Cantata 192's title translate to "Now thank we all our God."

"One of the things I love about Bach is that he has very complex ideas that don't sound overwrought when they're actually committed to paper and performed," Simonson said.

Handel's "Music for the Royal Fireworks" was originally composed in 1749 at the request of King George II of Great Britain. It was to be performed in a building in London constructed specifically for the piece and it was to be accompanied by live pyrotechnics. Unfortunately, a malfunction with the fireworks subsequently burned down the structure.

"We're not going to do that part of the performance," Simonson assured.

Prior to that flaming disaster, there also was mayhem at the first public rehearsal of the piece. Some 12,000 people all rushed to see the performance, and their eagerness caused massive carriage jams that lasted for hours.

So take heed, Juneau: If you must commute downtown for the show, don't come all at once.

Simonson said he is excited to present both Handel and Bach together in the same concert.

"The contrast between how Handel and Bach treat dance music is very wonderful," he said. "You can hear how the two composers approach that style differently - like night and day for me."

There will be quite a variety of performers represented as well, from young singers to seasoned professionals. The Bach Society often works with the Alaska Youth Choir and other student-aged vocalists. Several high-school students will be in the concert, including soloists who have previously performed with Opera To Go or in Juneau-Douglas High School musicals.

Soloists include Tiffany Hanson, Philippe Damerval, Kathleen Wayne, Wendy Byrnes, Monica Yost, Mark Bautista, Brett Crawford, Cheryl Crawford, Marie Petersen, Hannah Cordle and Sam Kurland. They will be accompanied by other chorus members and an orchestra.
Simonson gave praise to all of the young vocalists and said that he puts great importance on the inclusion of youth in the society's performances.

"I include youth choirs whenever possible to give kids a chance to be surrounded by all that sound," he said. "It's a chance for the music to spread across multiple generations."

Simonson said he also puts a high value on the student-teacher relationship. He invites local music teachers to come to the Saturday night performance for a group photograph and recognition for what they have done for the community.

"It's a way of honoring all those folks who keep music alive," he said.

Many of those people have been teaching in Juneau for up to three generations and are still going strong, and help keep volunteer groups like the Bach Society thriving.

"Juneau is a fabulous town for music. It's amazing to me that we can do these works that are really technical and difficult, and astonishingly beautiful," Simonson said.

Bacchanalia! Revel like a true Greek!

2008-11-24T12:35:00.000-08:00

The guest of honor: Bacchus, also known as Dionysus, god of wine, was a popular portrait subject. Caravaggio painted his version of the god in the late 16th century. The oil on canvas hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Bacchanalia celebrations were originally women-only gatherings, later extended to include men. Opera To Go's version will be open to both genders, and will include a variety of food and drink, music, theatrical performances and other participatory entertainment.

Web Posted November 20, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

Thousands of years ago, during the time of the toga, the ancient people of Greece and Rome would gather in groves and celebrate, often for days on end. Their reasons for partying varied, but throughout the past few thousand years of human adaptation, we have still retained the ability to make time for carousal all throughout the year, whether we have a good excuse or not.

In continuation of the tradition, Opera to Go presents "Bacchanalia!" this Saturday at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center.

The social event is a fundraiser for Opera to Go, and will make an effort to mimic the original celebratory rituals as much as is reasonable.

"It's not going to be like the original drunken debauchery, but more light and social," said Wade Rogers, who is producing the event. "We're trying to get people exposed to Grecian culture."

The original Bacchanalia players were all women who got together in secret to celebrate the Greek god Dionysus - also called Bacchus by the Romans - god of the vine and ritual madness. Eventually, the invitation was extended to the men as well. During these get-togethers, there were copious amounts of wine and food, dancing, theatrical performances, and fertility rites designed to ensure the success of the upcoming planting and harvesting season.

Fertility was also emphasized during the early stages of the tradition. Originally, Bacchanalia were held in the spring in an effort to please Bacchus and to ensure the success of the grape crops for that season. After all, without grapes there would be no wine for the following year's festival.

The evening will arouse several of the senses, with offerings including a wide range of food and drink, musical and theatrical performances and participatory entertainment.

"It's sort of our way of saying thank you for helping us in the last several years that we've been in existence," Rogers said. He has also emceed and produced other similar events in cities around the country.

The Silverbow will be providing edibles of the Mediterranean flavor, including delectable dishes such as hummus platters, spanakopita, lamb kebobs, roasted vegetables and baklava to top it all off.

Beer and wine will be served at a no-host bar.

As dance was a very important part of the original festival, the Daughters of the New Moon will perform traditional Middle Eastern dances.

Other acts include the magic of Jeff Brown, the Dale Wygant Polka Band, pianists Doug Smith and Tom Locher, Todd Hunt on saxophone, and duet Brett and Cheryl Crawford.

Seating will be in the Greek amphitheater style, with tables set up in an arc around a central performance area.

The stage won't be the only place for entertainment, however. Throughout the night, there will also be other opportunities to mix and mingle.

"It's unlike anything we've done," Rogers said. "Usually things are done in a theatrical setting, on the stage. This is going to be very interactive where people will be able to see the acts around their table, on the stage, in the hall, and be able to walk around while the acts are ongoing."

Several downtown hotels are providing discounted rates on sleeping quarters for the night. Participants include the Baranof, Goldbelt and Prospector, all within stumbling distance of the culture center. Room prices can be found on the Opera to Go Web site at www.operatogo.net.

Dress is dressy casual, and though togas aren't required, they are certainly optional.

"We're kind of going with an international theme," Rogers said. "So, if you want to wear your lederhosen and suspenders, you'll fit right in."

Doubt: Award Winning Play Sets The Stage In Juneau

2008-11-12T11:38:00.001-08:00

Photo by Libby Sterling

Web Posted November 6, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

The arts can be a natural outlet for coping with distress, but they can also bring to light certain dark issues that may have been the cause of the distress in the first place. Composers, designers, performers and other artists often seem able to conceptually express more about these dark areas than philosophers and academics can, using fewer words and more subtle modes of expression. This subtlety of expression is one of the strengths of "Doubt: A Parable," Perseverance Theatre's second production of the 2008-09 season.

John Patrick Shanley, born in 1950, is the playwright responsible for "Doubt," which originated as an off-Broadway play first staged in 2004. It then ran for more than 500 performances on Broadway, winning a Pulitzer Prize in drama, a Tony Award for best play, and a Drama Desk Award, each earned in 2005.

Set in a Catholic church-school in the Bronx in 1964, "Doubt" follows the drama surrounding two nuns, Sister Aloysius and Sister James (played by Shona Strauser and Christina Apathy), who have opposing suspicions concerning the ethical integrity of a priest teaching in the school, Father Flynn (Ed Christian). The sisters' main concern is the nature of his interactions with a certain boy in the school named Donald Muller.

As the play's title implies, the situation is far from straightforward and involves potential conclusions that may seem to be obvious at first. However, much like a religious parable or allegorical fable, all the evidence may be considered and examined through a diverse range of lenses. In turn, the characters' fluctuating and opposing presumptions constantly trouble them.

The production consists of one act, though the original New York cast found that the second act happened after the curtain fell. It was then that the audience would leave the theater and begin to discuss their viewpoints on varying elements of the play that remain unrevealed on stage.

The actors in the Perseverance production also said they don't expect to be the only ones talking after the curtain call.

"In Juneau there's always a response from the community, which is a great thing," Strauser said.

Director Flordelino Lagundino has been working at Perseverance for the past four years, though he has been directing since 1991. He fills varying roles as an actor, director, teacher and administrator.

He also is the founder of the Thunder Mountain Theatre Project, where he will be directing "Shakespeare's R&J" in early 2009. This contemporary spin on the original "Romeo and Juliet" is similar in nature to "Doubt" in that it also brings potentially contentious matters up for discussion.

Lagundino said that plays like these are why he loves to direct even more than he likes to perform.

"Directing gives me a voice in some ways. There are certain plays that I feel are important to do because of the playwright's voice. I like to produce or direct plays that, in some way, I'm in agreement with or I feel should be part of a dialogue," he said.

Lagundino said he also likes "Doubt" because he feels that it is a discussion about ethics.

"This show is based on the fact that Shanley believes that there is nothing that is simply black and white," he said. "In the play there are a lot of sermons, and I consider theater as a place that is sort of a sermon, in a way. Not in a sense of saying you absolutely have to do this or that, but it's a place to discuss something. 'Doubt' is a discussion about religion and how we get in our heads that things are a certain way when those ideas are built on emotion and not really on fact."

"Doubt" opens the door to a great deal of discourse on many levels. Christian said he finds it interesting to see the varying evaluations audiences make of his character, the suspected priest.

"People just assume that I play a bad guy," he said.

Christian said one of Shanley's main goals in the play is to address the high level of certainty that is often used in making assumptions. He said it also is important to consider the difference in mainstream thought between the 1960s, when the play is set, versus that of the present day.

"From our perspective in the 21st century, we all think we know things for sure because of the experience of the lawsuits and things in recent years," he said regarding inferences often made about church scandals.

Lagundino said he notices the same attitudes in the general hindsight of the public. We can look to the past from the present and the verdict can seem obvious, but it wouldn't have been as unmissable to people in the 1960s.

"From our point of view, they should have known that Father Flynn was doing something bad. We automatically judge him in that way because of our facts that we have in general, but not specifically to Father Flynn," he said.

The original production had such an impact that the play has recently been adapted into a screenplay that premiered just last week at the AFI Fest in Hollywood. The film was directed by Shanley and stars Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. Even immediately after the initial screening, there was Oscar talk among critics.

Shanley also is well-known for writing and directing the 1990 adventurous comedy "Joe Versus the Volcano," as well as for writing several other stage plays and award-winning screenplays.

Marinda Anderson, who plays Mrs. Muller, enjoys performing in Juneau so much that she came all the way from her home in New York City for this production. She was previously involved with Perseverance in 2006 and has been living and performing in New York since then. She said there is great theater all over the country and she is always open to going anywhere, especially Juneau.

"I'm glad to be back," she said. "Perseverance is really solid. I've always respected the theater here. And it's a nice getaway from New York. The city is kind of crazy."

This is quite a small production for Perseverance, made up of only four actors. The troop said they are enjoying a break from the big crowd, though it makes rehearsals much more intense.

"It's tough, but it's good, and it's a very good group of people. They believe in the show and they want it to do well. They want to communicate the show to the audiences here in Juneau," Lagundino said.

'Rocky Horror' To Show At Pre-Halloween Bash: KXLL Radio Sponsors Party and Showing of Cult Movie On Oct. 24

2008-10-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

Web Posted October 23, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

Multitudes of cult-classic movie fans and Halloween enthusiasts are preparing to rock on Friday, Oct. 24, at the Rocky Horror Halloween Bash.

The event, held at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center, is a fundraiser for Excellent Radio, 100.7 FM, and will consist of a dance party starting at 9 p.m. and a midnight showing of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

"This is the first showing for a long time in Juneau," said event organizer Andy Kline.

According to Kline, it's one thing to watch the film in the quiet of one's own home, and quite another to experience it with a group of people who are eager to participate.

Serious Rocky Horror fans may already know all of the parts where the audience has a duty to play a part, whether it's to holler a phrase or throw something at the screen. For first-timers, cheat sheets with cues will be provided.

The $5 cover will also include a goody bag with all the necessary props for audience involvement.

"In bigger cities, there are people who are totally dedicated to this and come dressed as various characters. A lot of people have come up to me and said they can't wait and can't believe we haven't had a showing in Juneau," Kline said.

The film was originally released in 1975 and was one of the original "Midnight Movies" shown around the country in the 1970s. It was screened alongside other countercultural, offbeat films, but remains a favorite among devotees around the world.

"We're really trying to do it exactly like it should be done," Kline said.

Preceding the midnight movie will be a Halloween-themed dance party emceed by Eric Caldwell of PolarSounds Entertainment. Partygoers are encouraged to dress in costume, whether it be in a Rocky Horror motif or otherwise. Wearers of the best costumes will be rewarded with prizes.

Caldwell will be in control of sensory items such as dance-inducing music, atmosphere-enhancing lighting and MTV-style music videos that will be projected on the big screen.

"At the Halloween Bash, we want to make everyone feel like Excellent Radio opened a nightclub. That means bright lights, big sound and music that is both cool and edgy. Because we're going to have the big screen on hand for 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' and PolarSounds Entertainment's eclectic collection of several thousand music videos, it's going to be the wildest music video party Juneau has ever seen," Caldwell said.

Caldwell is also the host of "80s Nation" which airs Friday nights at 8 p.m. on KXLL. Because of the show, he said he has become known as "the 80s guy," and hopes the Halloween Bash will be a good opportunity to remind people that he knows other music besides 80s, especially since most of his DJ'ing career has occurred well after the decade came to a close.

Folks of all ages are welcome to attend the bash, and there will be a beer garden sponsored by the Alaskan Brewing Co. for those of legal age.

Arts, Music, Beer At Autumn Festival: Oct. 18 event moves indoors to Culture Center

2008-10-20T23:47:00.001-07:00

Photo courtesy of Mayumi Arimitsu

Web Posted October 16, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

Juneau's annual Autumn Festival will celebrate its fifth year this weekend with a move to the rain-free Juneau Arts & Culture Center.

From noon until 10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18, attendees can partake of the sweet fruits of locals' labor through various arts and crafts offerings, and can enjoy live music and games. There will also be food aplenty, including Kettle Korn, Fry Bread and Chef Stef's catering. Edibles will be accompanied by a beer garden, sponsored by the Rendezvous and the Alaskan Brewing Co., opening at 2 p.m.

For the first four years of its existence, the festival was held at Marine Park. This year, the festivities have outgrown their former wall-less setting and organizers have opted to move the event indoors - just in case the weather happens to be less-than-desirable.

Founder, organizer, and master delegator Rachael Juzeler said she is interested in seeing how the change in venue will affect the turnout.

"People will hang out longer, I'm guessing," she said. "When we did it downtown, we didn't get so many passersby because people weren't really walking downtown anyway. They came down exclusively for this. It's super community (oriented), everyone knows each other, there are kids running around like crazy, and I expect nothing less again," she said.

Juzeler said she and a friend got the idea for a street fair around the time that Marine Park was constructed. The city was on board with the concept, but with the stipulation that the festival would have to wait until the cruise ship season came to a close, timing which naturally accommodated an autumn theme.

"It's a good kickoff for winter," Juzeler said. "It's a great place to do all your Christmas shopping in advance."

Musical performances will run all day long, and will include sets by Teri Tibbett, Train Wreck, Slow Gun Runner, Brook Morgan and others. There will also be time dedicated to impromptu performers during an open mike session.

Between musical performances, the Alaskan Brewing Co. will present awards to the winners of this year's Autumn Pour Homebrew competition. Ale-brewing champions will be announced at 4 p.m.

Another highlight will be a game called cornhole. This recreational activity is closely related to horseshoes, but rather than tossing an iron crescent around a stake, players fling cornhole bags filled with corn, beans, or sand at a target on a raised platform.

Arts and crafts tables will include work made by local jewelers, ceramicists, glass workers, knitters and more. There will also be interactive tables for children of all ages to discover and express their inner autumn creativity.

Juzeler said she expects the arts and crafts tables to sell out of products and close down around 5 p.m.

"That always seems to happen at this festival because we do have a lot of people that come through," she said.

Juzeler runs the festival as a volunteer, and is not necessarily affiliated with or sponsored by any one organization.

"It's basically just me. I have a lot of good volunteers that come and help me set things up," she said.

Admission is free, and proceeds will benefit the Juneau Arts & Humanities Council.

"It's basically just a community event with community people playing and community people all working together and showing all their stuff," Juzeler said.

Puccini Opera In Triplicate: Three acts, three sets, three costume changes highlight "Il Trittico"

2008-10-20T23:36:00.000-07:00

Italian opera: Performers rehearse a scene from "Gianni Schicchi," the third act of "Il Trittico." From left are Therese Thibodeau, Aaron Elmore, Philippe Damerval, Wade Rogers, Cathy Pashigian and Kathleen Wayne. The opera consists of three one-act operas: "Il Tabarro," "Suor Angelica," and "Gianni Schicchi." They were composed by Giacomo Puccini and will be performed over the next two weekends at the Juneau-Douglas High School auditorium. The Amalga Chamber Orchestra will provide instrumental accompaniment to the performances.

Photo courtesy of Dave Depew

Web posted October 2, 2008

By Libby Sterling | for the Juneau Empire

It's unlikely that attendees to this weekend's performances of Giacomo Puccini's "Il Trittico" will have to journey to the lengths that Puccini did to attend opera productions when he was a young man. He and his brother once walked more than 18 miles from their home in Lucca, Italy, to see a performance of Verdi's "Aida" in Pisa.

Apparently it was well worth the trip. That performance is said to have spurred him to begin his career as a composer.

Now, 150 years after his birth, Puccini's work is still being remembered and celebrated in such faraway places as Alaska.

Juneau's own Opera To Go will launch its 2008-09 season with performances of Puccini's "Il Trittico." The opera consists of three one-act operas - "Il Tabarro," "Suor Angelica" and "Gianni Schicchi" - and will be performed with the Amalga Chamber Orchestra at the Juneau-Douglas High School auditorium. Puccini designed the three to be presented as a triptych, though they also are quite often seen separately.

"This is a different type of production," said Roald Simonson, the stage director. "It takes three sets, three casts, three lighting designs and three sets of costumes. But when you perform all three together, there are interesting relations that make a kind of emotional art," he said.
"Il Tabarro" ("The Cloak"), the first opera of the three, is set on a barge on the Seine River. What appears to be a very normal day of chores for the deckhands quickly turns into a battle for control by the three members of a love triangle. A wife plans an adulterous scheme with her new flame, and though her husband has his suspicions, they remain unconfirmed. However, through a series of unfortunate coincidences, husband and lover meet face-to-face, and only one of them will walk away from the encounter alive.

"Suor Angelica" ("Sister Angelica") takes place in a convent and focuses on a nun who has spent the last seven years escaping the worries and shame of her past life in the comfort of the church. She receives a visit from a family member bearing less-than-ideal news: Her young son, whom she hasn't seen since birth, died two years prior. Out of love, brokenness and regret, she makes the decision to force her own death to rejoin her son in the clouds. She concocts a poison and consumes it, only afterward fully grasping the reality of her decision. With a prayer to the Virgin Mary, the heavens open and mother and child are reunited.

Performer Patricia Kalbrener said "Suor Angelica" will be her first performance with Opera To Go.

"I've been in musicals before but there had always been some break in melodic action for whatever reason - a dance or spoken-word downtime - but the opera is just one big song, and when no one is singing the orchestra carries the music as if someone still were, so the flow of story is impeccable," she said.

Kalbrener said her role as a nun provided an opportunity to get to know the other performers.
"We are all sister nuns," she said, "wandering about our nunny business and existing together in the convent. It feels like we carry the sisterhood offstage with us, honestly."

"Gianni Schicchi," the third opera, takes place at the deathbed of a very wealthy Italian man, who is surrounded by a plethora of his relatives. The family, however, isn't hanging around to offer support to this poor man, but rather for what they may receive as their inheritance upon the moment of his death. Rumor eventually makes its way to the family that the funds they plan on assuming have already been promised to a local monastery. They scramble to find a way to change the man's will before their money goes out the window, and decide on a delegate to impersonate the old man just long enough to dictate a new will.

The delegate, however, decides to play his own trick on the rest of the family, laying down the will to be very much in his favor.

Meanwhile, his family is powerless to intervene, lest the whole scheme becomes uncovered and each of them loses a hand - the punishment for being an accessory to fraud at that time in Florence.

"The third opera has Puccini's most famous melody of all," Simonson said. "People who don't even know opera will recognize it. It's called 'O mio babbino caro,' meaning, 'Oh, my dear papa', and it has been heard in car commercials and many other familiar, non-operatic settings."

Juneau will have a chance to experience the "Il Trittico" both as a whole and in parts. "Il Tabarro" and "Suor Angelica" will be performed twice, on Oct. 4 and Oct. 10, as will "Gianni Schicchi," on Oct. 5 and Oct. 12. The entire "Il Trittico" will be performed Saturday, Oct. 11.

Tickets are available at both Hearthside Books locations and at the door. Each ticket purchased will be honored at every performance with no attendance limit, giving audience members a chance for an opera overdose.

Thirty-three performers make up the cast of the three operas, some of whom will double-dip and participate in as many as two of the productions.

"It's theater, and we're all there for the same reason; we want to make it as entertaining as possible," Kalbrener said.

Gordon Bok and Carol Rohl Tell Musical Tales of the Sea

2008-09-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy of Hugh Chatfield

Web Posted September 25, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

It's hard not to be influenced by one's surroundings. And for a creative type it can be hard to suppress the urge to share stories about the things, places, people and experiences that have been instrumental in bringing a person to where they are now.

Folk singer Gordon Bok has taken to using instruments to keep and share stories of his past. Not only does he utilize his baritone voice, 6-string and 12-string guitars but also an instrument he likes to call the cellamba; it's a six-string, fretted cello he has built himself.

He doesn't stop there, though. He also uses wood in addition to music to create visual representations of memories that have shaped his life. He grew up among woodworkers and has followed in their footsteps as not only a furniture maker and instrument builder but also a relief sculptor.

"Many images are from memories of working on boats or fishing along the coast, and most of the figures in my carvings are people I have known," Bok said about his work.

Both the visual and verbal imagery Bok emphasizes in his carvings and his music are based around his connection with the sea. He hails from Camden, Maine, and has shared his stories through music all over the United States, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and Australia. Inspired by his years of working on fishing boats, yachts and schooners, he uses his music to share his unique perspective on people who live and work at sea.

Rather than resorting to some of the negative clichés about sailors, Bok writes about his own personal experiences as well as those of people he has known. Time Magazine described him as "the poet laureate of those who go down to the sea in ships."

He also dives into the mythical realm with albums such as "Another Land Made of Water," an album recorded in 1979 that illustrates the musical culture of an enchanted group of people living in the sea.

He is also a song gatherer, singing traditional folk songs from all over the world in their original languages, including but not limited to Italian, French, Portuguese and Mongolian.
Bok has worked and performed with many other musicians over the years. He was one-third of the trio Bok, Muir, and Trickett, who played together for almost 30 years. He also worked with Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul, and Mary, and Stookey produced Bok's first album. He has performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and has audibly appeared on the radio program "A Prarie Home Companion." He has even had music included in several folk music collections, including the anthology "Rise Up Singing."

Bok will perform in Juneau at 7:30 on Sunday, Sept. 28, at Resurrection Lutheran Church. Tickets are available at Hearthside Books for $15 or at the door for $17. He will be joined by Carol Rohl on the harp. The concert is sponsored by the Alaska Folk Festival.

They will also be performing in Ketchikan on Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Saxman Tribal House.

Rohl, Bok's wife, began playing the harp in 1986 and has since shared her talent at all sorts of events in all corners of the world, often joined by her husband. She has also spent her share of time on the water, as she was a U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain for seven years, working at the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School in Rockland, Maine.

"Carol was the first folk harp player in this area. When she came to town, we all muckled onto her," Bok said.

In 1996, she began to play private bedside performances for the ill in hospital rooms, homes and hospice environments. She is a certified harp practitioner through the International Harp Therapy Program and the Music for Healing and Transition Program. She has a B.S. in social work and also leads classes on musical healing.

In September 2004 at age 51, Rohl suffered a stroke that sent the left side of her body into paralysis. She didn't let it keep her keep her down, though. After only five months, she was performing with her husband again.

"Playing provides such great joy," Rohl said. "Anything that gives you joy has a healing energy to it."

Tom May: Folk Singer, World Traveler

2008-09-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy of Tom May

Web Posted September 18, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

When Tom May was a little boy, he thought he might grow up to be a railroad engineer or perhaps a telegrapher, after his father. He didn't expect to end up living his life as a professional musician, as he has for the past 36 years. He and his friends jokingly refer to his career as "a hobby that got out of control."

May was always attracted to music even though he came from a nonmusical family. He purchased a guitar with earnings from his newspaper route, marking the beginning of what his career has now become.

Originally from Nebraska, May now resides in Vancouver, Wash. His music has traveled far and wide, from all corners of North America to Europe. He first played in Alaska in the 1980s and he says he still loves coming back to Southeast. He gets out on the road quite a bit, playing between 150 to 200 shows per year, two of which will be in the Panhandle: He will play in Skagway on Friday, Sept. 19, and will also perform at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21.

Some would label May as a traveling troubadour, and though he says that word may be a little too flowery for him, he doesn't disagree.

"It is appropriate in the sense that I travel and take news of events that I've seen and my observations on history. I was lucky enough to find my niche, in a way, in that my songs are geographical and historical sketches, things that I feel are not forgotten but brought into the present."

May comes with a new album, "Blue Roads, Red Wine" released this year through Waterbug Records. The album features a song called "Yukon Journey, 45 Below" which, like many of May's songs, tells an epic story. In this case, the tale is of a tour through Alaska and Canada during a frigid winter. Juneau even makes a lyrical appearance, as does Alaska Airlines and all the other people, places and things that made the journey possible.

Much of May's music consists of verses that tell stories, whether they are personal journeys, present observations or historical narratives. His interest in history and geography moves him to write from one perspective and place in hopes of sharing it with another.

He has especially enjoyed bringing his songs about American history to listeners in Europe. The few hundred years of American history can't hold a candle to the millennia of recorded events taking place in Europe, but May says he has observed quite an interest by his international fans in his presentation and delivery of the American yesterdays.

His love for folk music has also led him to host the nationally syndicated radio broadcast, "River City Folk." The show first aired in 1985 and features the recordings of different artists from week to week, as well as live performances in the studio and interviews, granting listeners a comprehensive introduction to folk musicians from around the world.

He also helps run a winter folk benefit concert in Portland, Ore., which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. It takes place each February and raises funds to provide low-cost and no-cost meals to people throughout the Portland area.

An author as well as a musician, May recently published "Promoting Your Music: The Lovin' of the Game" with co-author Dick Weissman. They have included interviews with friends in the music industry such as Gordon Lightfoot, Harry Manx and Eliza Gilkyson, and stories of their experiences turning musical callings into careers.

No matter where May is playing, he is constantly emphasizing the importance of relating to his audience and, in fact, viewing them as participants more than just flies on the wall.

"My reward is the joy of being able to play," May said. "If you miss the friends and the people connections along the way, you've missed all there is."

Mountain Music Festival To Feature Local Musicians

2008-09-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

Web posted August 28, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

For those beginning to grow weary of the long summer season, and for those holding on to every final morsel of it, the Mount Roberts Tramway will present a musical event with quite the opportunity to rise above it all.

Everyone is invited to attend the third annual Mountain Music festival on Friday, Sept. 5, at the Chilkat Theater at the Mount Roberts Tramway. Several styles of music will be represented, from blues to bluegrass, as 10 local acts take the stage to perform 20-minute sets each.

The lineup will begin with Collette Costa and Company at6 p.m., followed (in no particular order) by Frank and Julie Delaplane and Steve Wilde, the Great Alaska Bluegrass Band, Pat Henry, Martha and Jim Stey, John Unzicker, Matt Barnes, The Zahasky Family Band, singer-songwriter Mike Truax, and teen bluegrass superstars College Bound. The performers will be joined on stage by Martha Stey as the master of ceremonies.

This unique venue has a tendency to grow on performers and spectators alike, offering a leap of 1,800 feet in elevation in a matter of mere minutes.

Mountain Music is the brainchild of Paul Zahasky of The Zahasky Family Band and George Reifenstein, manager of the Mount Roberts Tramway. Reifenstein organizes other performances at the tramway throughout the season, including appearances by the Zahaskys, who perform there on a regular basis.

"This is more like a mini folk festival, just a touch different," said Elva Bontrager, who is in charge of booking the performers.

"The fantastic view and the tram ride are unusual - nothing else in town has that kind of event. It's a way to get people up there."

In past years the atmosphere has been wonderful, with the theater's good acoustics attracting spectators who genuinely want to be there, Bontrager said. After all, a spot halfway to the top of a mountain on the edge of vast wilderness isn't likely to attract folks who are lukewarm about their music.

Previous festivals have been successful at getting people up there. Last year there were 212 tickets sold, which is more bodies than the 125-capacity Chilkat Theater has seats for. However, there are other seating options; the music will be amplified into the dining area for those who would like to enjoy a full dinner menu with their high-altitude tunes.

The event's planners are expecting that the event will get even larger in future years, perhaps even extending to two days and moving outdoors, weather-permitting.

Festival-goers will pay $10 for admission, which includes the cost of the tram ride. A hike up the mountain would be a lovely trek, but it won't waive the admission cost.

Those hoping to catch Costa's set at 6 p.m. are encouraged to trek quickly as they plan to start rocking right on time.

Tabor To Perform With Guests Aug. 23

2008-09-15T12:31:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy of Buddy Tabor

Web posted August 21, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

There are plenty of proper ways to listen to a Buddy Tabor song.

For those unadventurous homebodies who still crave a dash of excitement, one trip to the store will bring any of several of Tabor's recordings into the comfort of their own cabin, cottage or bungalow. And those who prefer not to venture even that far from the computer chair can click their way to Tabor MP3 paradise.

In fact, the artist himself encourages the kind of deep listening that lends itself to more sedentary behaviors; for many fans his lyrical journeys and relaxed melodies are fitting companions to activities such as staring out the window and enjoying the view.

"My songs need to be listened to. They're not just dancing songs," Tabor said.

If you're a dancer, don't worry. Buddy also believes in free choice and won't be offended if you choose to enjoy his music by getting down and having a boogie, as long as you still listen to the words.

But those who enjoy live music at the bar will have to do it sans Buddy. For a musician of any kind, there may be nothing worse than to devote hours, weeks or even years to a piece only to have all that hard work drowned out by the sound of pub clatter. This is exactly why you won't find Buddy Tabor at a bar, either as a listener or a performer.

"I'd have to be paid at least $5,000 an hour," he said, "and even then I'd have doubts about showing up."

However, you can find him performing live at various other venues. He is scheduled to play at Resurrection Lutheran Church this Saturday, Aug. 23, at 7:30 p.m. This performance also celebrates Tabor's latest CD release, a boxed-set anthology comprised of the best songs he's written in the last 25 years.

The first time he heard Bob Dylan's music at age 17, Tabor was inspired to study it and was subsequently moved to write his own music. He also reveres Hank Williams and John Prine, though he sees them more as vehicles of inspiration rather than direct influences on his writing style.

"I'm not on the same level as these guys," he says.

However, many fans and admirers would beg to differ.

"Someone once told me I'm better than Dylan. I said, 'Trust me, I've been studying Dylan forever and his and my name should never be used in the same sentence.'"

Tabor has also made his way to Juneau's Wikipedia entry as one of the capital city's token musicians.

"I don't know who put me in there, but it wasn't me. I'm a legend, what can I tell you!" Tabor jokes, though he has been in Alaska for more than 40 years and his name has certainly spread to every corner of the state and beyond.

His music has even been featured on National Public Radio and also has received airplay on many mainstream radio stations throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Fans of Buddy's who wish to thank him for treating their eardrums all these years now have a good opportunity. A recent back injury has been keeping Tabor off of his feet lately, so all profits from album sales will be put toward his new accumulation of medical bills.

The entire population of Juneau is invited to come hear a mixture of old and new songs this Saturday, where he will also be joined by various friends on stage, including John Hartle, Betsy Simms and other musicians. Anyone who may be willing to add him as a dependent on their insurance policy is especially welcome.

Solitaire Champ | Stuck In A Glacial Desert

2008-08-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

Web Posted July 17, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

Why did the chicken cross the moraine? To try and find a date. Unfortunately, her date turned out to be a turkey, but there happened to be plenty of IPA on tap to keep her busy until she found another. Welcome to life on the other side.

It's quite realistic to admit to the possibility of being single until the end of time. It isn't necessarily a truth that we're all running toward with open arms, but it's not a closed cycle yet. A conversation with a glaciation expert may be all a singlet needs to gain a boost of confidence in the lack-of-relationship department.

To the naked eye, glacial activity looks like anything but action. It may put up an appearance of functioning as a stagnant blockage of the water cycle; a stunt of the grunt, if you will, eternally stuck in a rut rather than accomplishing much for its mother to be proud of.

In fact, it may be tempting to call a glacier slothful, reclusive, just a big hunk (unfortunately not the kind of hunks we've been looking for), and taking up good potential driving passage. We don't mind our Icefield. It keeps the aliens out and the hooligans in, and it seems that the foreigners consider it more of a problematic disadvantage while the Juneau goons consider the separation a blessing.

However, with that mainland division can also come extreme emotional suffering and high degrees of turmoil, especially for non-twitterpated types. Until the ice of the mountains reunites with the water of the sea and we are connected with the rest of the world's dating pool, we're stuck with ourselves!

On a positive slant, as the glaciers disappear (which most of them are) they are uncovering brand spankin' new terrain that's ready to be bedded. One could go out on a limb and suggest that all this recently revealed base is probably feeling a bit lonely. No trees, no fungi, no mountain goats, only miles and miles of rock. It has been scraped to smithereens by the spillover purging of the Icefield's excess material for thousands or millions of years, depending on your belief system, then abandoned in the end with the slow death of its cold, blue friend, the only companion it has ever known. We shouldn't make any puns about glacial speed in this touchy situation. Nonetheless, a long time has been taken to chisel this landscape, and it's ready to rock.

Too much of the single life can often make a bachelorette feel like she's stuck in a proverbial glacial desert. It's a downer to feel destined to remain cold and dry forever. However, people are a lot like bedrock. There is massive formation going on and pressure grinding away all the fluff for a good foundation. After all, foundation is everything in a build. We look to the mountains and we see, there is still hope for even the chickens in this Arctic Sahara.

Solitaire Champ | It's Twitterpatin' Time Again

2008-06-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

Web Posted June 29, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

It's finally spring in Juneau! For many of the creatures inhabiting our rain forest, this means it's that time of year again: twitterpatin' time.

That's right, Bambi-lovers young and old know that springtime is conjunction juncture, time for each to follow their animal instinct and start finding their flame. Let's observe some of our favorite critters in action -- perhaps they can impart something valuable to us.

Bald eagles reach sexual maturity between four and five years of age, at which point they are ready to begin the literal roller-coaster ride that is eagle dating. Potential pairs do a sort of trust flight where the birds chase each other, eventually locking talons for a final free fall, unlocking each other only in the final second before they would otherwise slam into the ground. Who knows how many times one has to land tail-feathers-first with the wrong suitor before a good match is finally made. Nevertheless, by early spring they will have become a pair committed enough to begin building a nest together. So long as they can avoid the temptation of cruise ship eagles from out of town, the pair will stick regally together, as long as they both shall live.

Black bear ladies, on the other hand, spend their summers seeing several different males and become pregnant with cubs who, though in the same litter, all have different fathers. Their black books must be just full of phone numbers.

Unlike many animals who stay close to home to find their mates, humpback whales go on seasonal vacations. Heading south for the winter to warmer waters, they will often swim for up to a month to reach the beach, fasting the whole time so as to look extra attractive in their swimsuits upon arrival. Competition for female attention is fierce. Groups of up to 40 male whales will escort one female, all the while trying with their hardest to establish dominance through a series of tricks. They'll spy-hop, tail-slap, breach, and even participate in singing contests to catch the lovely lady's heart.

However, for humans living In such an extreme climate with so many seasonal changes, the physical and emotional side effects of winter must be considered when it comes to mating and dating. Springtime lovin' in Juneau just has too much potential to be deficient. Alaskan humans are often still coming out of seasonal depression. Their skin is pasty, curdled, and otherwise unsightly. They aren't in their prime, but they often have the drive to work on themselves, to become desirable again.

Much like creatures who participate in hibernation, Alaska humans often spend the summers running around performing some sort of preparation for the coming winter, whether it's getting back in shape, working to supplement their winter income, or simply boosting their mood by getting out and enjoying the little bit of sunshine they will see for the year.

So perhaps the ideal time for us to unionize is in the fall, after a short, jam-packed summer season of personal betterment, physical improvement, and a growing sense of independence and confidence in oneself. Plus, when the snow starts flying it's the perfect time to cuddle up with someone. After all, twitterpation may also be the answer to saving a bit on the heat bill.

Solitaire Champ | Fractured Fairytales Foreshadow Failure

2008-06-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy of Joel Irwin

Web Posted May 22, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

"Georgie Porgie, puddin' and pie, kissed the girls and made them cry." -Mother Goose

With training like this as children, is it any wonder why us single folk are often highly unsuccessful at finding eligible members of our preferred sex who make our hearts flutter and soar? I know I'm not the only one who has felt like a failure at some point during my dating career.

Well, good news, people! Our relational inability is no fault of our own. Mother Goose has had it in her plan all along for human babies to grow up unable to successfully reproduce, therefore leading the way for geese to rise as the dominant species! These nursery rhymes have been broadcast to us since before we were even able to comprehend their meaning. The legacies left through stories of horrible men, women, and animals have trained us to be the men, women, and animals that we are today.

Humans in these rhymes we recite don't usually grow up to be happy or hitched. Perhaps the most common mistake encouraged by these rhymes is just sitting around, feeling lonely, full of frustration from failed past attempts, waiting for a good date to just fall into one's lap without doing the work to actually initialize the action. Well, I guess she'll be comin' 'round the mountain when she comes, just whenever she feels like it. No rush, lady, I'll just be here... waiting... singing... I'm not saying it's outside the realm of possibility for her to come around, but odds aren't high. There's a reason why this rhyme is often dropped over and again, and with such sweet, patient angst.

We all remember Miss Muffet's suitor, a creepy arachnid who sneaked up and scared her off. This either teaches little girls to behave ridiculously in the presence of spiders, or it teaches little boys that it's all in good fun to act like creepy crawlies around chicks.

What caused the old woman in the shoe residence to have too many children to cope with? Perhaps she was bumped and dumped too many times by too many smooth talkers. But it is the father(s) of all the children who has perhaps set the worst example of all by not sticking by the family and helping with chores around the shoe.

And don't even get me started on Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater! Any man who would enforce his wife's fidelity by stuffing her inside a vegetable deserves, if anything, to be on some trashy crime channel, not in children's folklore!

Luckily, my mother prefaced things like nursery rhymes and stories about Santa Claus by saying that they were fun to imagine, but nothing more. In light of this practice by a few people's mothers, a small few of us have not been completely ruined by poisonous relationship rhymes.

However, I propose that the hopeless among us take time to reread these childhood classics with new eyes. Perhaps then we will realize the follies we have wrongly faced due to the influence of such misinterpreted blarney, find our mate after all, and live happily ever after.

Canadian Bluegrass: At home in Alaska

2008-06-19T11:45:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy of Collin Goldie

Web posted September 20, 2007

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

The Canadian bluegrass band Hungry Hill will visit Juneau for the first time this week, but the group's members aren't new to Alaska or its capital.

"I feel very at home in Alaska with these people who are so crazy about bluegrass," said Nadine Landry, Hungry Hill's bassist and vocalist.

Before Landry and fellow bandmates Jenny Lester, Bob Hamilton, Mark Thibeault, and Ross Nickerson formed the group, they were playing with other bands in festivals all over northwestern Canada and Southeast Alaska, including Juneau.

Landry, originally from Quebec, said she is especially fond of Southeast Alaska. She first visited Juneau in 2001 for the Alaska Folk Festival with only a few tunes under her belt. Year after year, she has returned and is now a regular in the Alaska bluegrass scene.

The five members of Hungry Hill don't just pride themselves on their tight, traditional bluegrass sound. The group's repertoire includes a few covers, but contrary to popular bluegrass practice, Hungry Hill's main focus is on writing original material.

Founding member Bob Hamilton compares his past bluegrass experiences to his time with Hungry Hill and says the emphasis that is put on originality in this group makes all the difference.

"It's a band where we write," said Hamilton, who was a member of the Undertakin' Daddies, which was nominated for best roots/traditional album at the 2002 Juno Awards (Canada's version of the Grammys). "Our new album is 100 percent original material, which is kind of unusual for a bluegrass band."

He said the writing is very intentional as well, as Hungry Hill tries to stay as true as possible to the roots of traditional bluegrass.

"It's cool to write within a specific genre that uses a certain kind of framework," Hamilton said.

The band also, according to Hamilton, composes specifically for its members, allowing each member to use his or her musical strengths in a way that playing cover songs just can't match.

Hamilton describes a writing process that can sometimes be difficult, as all of the band's members are spread across various parts of the Yukon Territory and British Columbia. Members take advantage of modern technology, e-mailing MP3 files back and forth and building layers on top of each other until they reach the final product.

Hamilton said it's a priority to set aside time to compose as a group, especially when members are able to get together in person. Often, at this stage, songs are half-formed and writing becomes a collaborative effort between all the members.

The group's second album, "Ride," was released Sept. 15 to a full house at the Yukon Arts Center in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. The band is touring Southeast Alaska and British Columbia to promote it.

Debbie Peters, the band's manager, says the Whitehorse crowd enjoyed Hungry Hill's performance.

"What people say about their music is that their original work just feels like bluegrass classics," Peters said.

The Whitehorse show was the first time many of Hungry Hill's new songs were played for an audience, and, to Landry, the crowd's enjoyment came as great encouragement.

"It's always good to know that people still care," she said.

Camping Bearfoot: Group Takes Tour Detour For Children's Jam Fest

2008-06-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy of Bearfoot

Web posted July 12, 2007

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

Alaska is home to a generous amount of foot-stomping bluegrass festivals and camps all year round.

During the day, participants enjoy the scheduled music or workshops, but the emergence of night is no reason to stop the hoedown. Spontaneous jam sessions are an essential bluegrass experience; no respectable festival can survive without them. They erupt anywhere there's enough space for a fiddle bow to noodle and a banjo pick to plunk.

Jammers move from session to session, often playing with fellow musicians they had never met.

There's always excitement about including the youngsters. Their parents dragged them along (or vice versa), and though they often appear hesitant to join in on the jam, one invitation from an elder is sometimes all a kid needs to participate and begin to develop a jamming technique.

So were the humble beginnings of the members of the now nationally acclaimed quintet, Bearfoot, formed in 1999. The all-Alaskan band includes Kate Hamre on acoustic bass, Mike Mickelson on guitar, Jason Norris on mandolin, and Angela Oudean and Annalisa Tornfelt on fiddles.

However, these are multi-talented folks who have been known to switch instruments from time to time. Each member also makes a vocal contribution amounting to multipart harmonies that breathe life into the auditory senses and remind listeners that it's good to be alive. They have recorded three full-length albums: Follow Me (2006), Back Home (2003), and Only Time Knows (2001), the last of which includes former original member Malani O'Toole.

After their Juneau visit, Bearfoot will resume a demanding tour schedule, including a gig opening for Lyle Lovett.

Being the offspring of musicians, it seemed natural for them to grow up as adolescents with the knack to knock everyone's socks off with their uncompromising melodies and sweet licks.

They look back fondly on their roots as young musicians and have now begun to foster the next generation of bluegrass greats through their bluegrass camps. The camps are held all across the U.S. and Canada and as far away as Ireland.

Bearfoot has taken a detour from their Lower 48 summer tour to put on a bluegrass camp this week at the Juneau Community Charter School. Children between the ages of 5 and 17 participated in classes in fiddle, guitar, mandolin, bass, banjo, and vocals in beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels.

Each child was also grouped into a band and prepared for a performance at the end of the week to showcase what he or she learned.

Camp side effects included square dancing and spontaneous jam sessions, which may lead to lifelong musical relationships and a severe case of instrument collecting.