Mountain Music Festival To Feature Local Musicians

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.