In Love With Everyone
Here are some sights from my Juneau adventure a few weekends back. I know I should do a proper blog entry about it, but it was such an experiential thing, I don’t want to bore people with details that in no way will convey the time Mike and I had. Maybe that’s a cop out, but I kind of believe it. I’ll just say it was one of the best weekends of my life. I was saying that as soon as I got back, and now, a couple of weeks later, I still hold firm to that notion.
This plate o’ sushi plus two more huge rolls plus sake plus beer equals $120 spent at Seong’s, the best sushi place in town. Every bite equaled a piece of heaven for my ethnic-food craved taste buds.
Mike and I at the Red Dog Saloon. His parents visited this bar years ago on their trip through Alaska. The bartender there made me the worst drink a bartender has ever made me (pictured, almost done with, to the left of me). It was green and girly.
Bluegrass 101, one of the best bluegrass bands I heard that weekend. I had never really heard live bluegrass previously, and was pretty much blown away. This band in particular had three different vocalists and the whole time they played, they maintained this close-knit setup changing positions as they needed. It created a sense that they indeed needed one another to make their own individual instrument play.
The 32nd Alaska Folk Festival brought all kinds of music – bluegrass, folk, country, guitar, salsa, Celtic, to name some. It seems trite to write that out of all the music festivals I’ve attended I’ve never felt such a unique, free vibe amongst the people there, but that’s what it was. It’s a vibe that cannot be reproduced or replicated – it was the most amazing product of time and place.
Compare this band’s setup to Bluegrass 101. Such a different feel. But they still produced awesome music. This is Western Hemlock Society, a bluegrass band out of Petersburg.
This picture and the one before were taken in Centennial Hall. In this venue, each artist or band got to play a three to four song set. They held a pretty strict schedule with a host introducing each new act. Rows of chairs were set up. People sat. People stood in the back. Constant coming and going. Families and children were prevalent. KTOO, Juneau’s public radio station, was taping the whole time. It was a great showcase for people to actually sit and listen to artists and bands of varying degrees of success and experience. No dancing. Festival paraphernalia as well as CDs were sold in the hallway.
I want to hire this band, Deep North, for my wedding (if I ever have one). They were absolutely phenomenal, especially the blue suited man playing an awesome harmonica who I was kind of in love with.
This band, and others, played in a building next door to Centennial Hall (don’t actually remember the name. Don’t think I ever knew it). These bands played full sets to a huge dancing audience. It was brilliant. All these people dancing, not caring at all what they looked like. And the thing is, we all looked great. Mike and I danced, a lot. Hours. I haven’t had so much dancing in a long, long time. I contemplated going barefoot. I should’ve. There were water coolers and cups set up in the back of room.
This picture and the next attempt to capture the atmosphere in the hallways of the Alaskan Hotel. We had people jamming right outside our doorway, in various corners throughout the hotel, in people’s room until 6 or 7 am. Again, brilliant. People would retire from the dance hall or from the bars (where there was also live music) around 1 or 2 and go to the Alaskan Hotel. Many of the artists, as well as just festoval goers who played and brought their instruments with them, were staying there and it was their opportunity to play with others for an eager audience, whether it be 20 people crowded around or three.
We bounced from floor to floor, hallway to hallway, following the trails of live music.
The guy in the Miller shirt was in Bluegrass 101.
Mike and I lunched on the balcony of El Sombrero Saturday. It was a gorgeous day. You can see downtown Juneau behind us, beckoning us.
This plate o’ sushi plus two more huge rolls plus sake plus beer equals $120 spent at Seong’s, the best sushi place in town. Every bite equaled a piece of heaven for my ethnic-food craved taste buds.
Mike and I at the Red Dog Saloon. His parents visited this bar years ago on their trip through Alaska. The bartender there made me the worst drink a bartender has ever made me (pictured, almost done with, to the left of me). It was green and girly.
Bluegrass 101, one of the best bluegrass bands I heard that weekend. I had never really heard live bluegrass previously, and was pretty much blown away. This band in particular had three different vocalists and the whole time they played, they maintained this close-knit setup changing positions as they needed. It created a sense that they indeed needed one another to make their own individual instrument play.
The 32nd Alaska Folk Festival brought all kinds of music – bluegrass, folk, country, guitar, salsa, Celtic, to name some. It seems trite to write that out of all the music festivals I’ve attended I’ve never felt such a unique, free vibe amongst the people there, but that’s what it was. It’s a vibe that cannot be reproduced or replicated – it was the most amazing product of time and place.
Compare this band’s setup to Bluegrass 101. Such a different feel. But they still produced awesome music. This is Western Hemlock Society, a bluegrass band out of Petersburg.
This picture and the one before were taken in Centennial Hall. In this venue, each artist or band got to play a three to four song set. They held a pretty strict schedule with a host introducing each new act. Rows of chairs were set up. People sat. People stood in the back. Constant coming and going. Families and children were prevalent. KTOO, Juneau’s public radio station, was taping the whole time. It was a great showcase for people to actually sit and listen to artists and bands of varying degrees of success and experience. No dancing. Festival paraphernalia as well as CDs were sold in the hallway.
I want to hire this band, Deep North, for my wedding (if I ever have one). They were absolutely phenomenal, especially the blue suited man playing an awesome harmonica who I was kind of in love with.
This band, and others, played in a building next door to Centennial Hall (don’t actually remember the name. Don’t think I ever knew it). These bands played full sets to a huge dancing audience. It was brilliant. All these people dancing, not caring at all what they looked like. And the thing is, we all looked great. Mike and I danced, a lot. Hours. I haven’t had so much dancing in a long, long time. I contemplated going barefoot. I should’ve. There were water coolers and cups set up in the back of room.
This picture and the next attempt to capture the atmosphere in the hallways of the Alaskan Hotel. We had people jamming right outside our doorway, in various corners throughout the hotel, in people’s room until 6 or 7 am. Again, brilliant. People would retire from the dance hall or from the bars (where there was also live music) around 1 or 2 and go to the Alaskan Hotel. Many of the artists, as well as just festoval goers who played and brought their instruments with them, were staying there and it was their opportunity to play with others for an eager audience, whether it be 20 people crowded around or three.
We bounced from floor to floor, hallway to hallway, following the trails of live music.
The guy in the Miller shirt was in Bluegrass 101.
Mike and I lunched on the balcony of El Sombrero Saturday. It was a gorgeous day. You can see downtown Juneau behind us, beckoning us.
posted by Siapiau | 3:09 PM
1 Comments:
yay for bluegrassy/folky music festivals!
i'm going to merlefest (in western north carolina) next weekend!
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