The deep Anchorage talent pool – Dive in!
By Crystal Hutchens
The underappreciated and untapped musical talent in Alaska, and Anchorage especially, is astounding. We’ve already had a couple of acts go national. Take Jewel, for example, who doesn’t even have a presence here and regularly cancels Alaskan show dates. She markets herself as ‘from Alaska’ for the sheer mystique that surrounds our incredible state. But imagine if you had a chance to see her perform in a tiny café or bar right in your own neighborhood, where she was close enough to touch and talk to. Imagine further that the price of such an intimate concert was as cheap as under five dollars or even free. Literally hundreds of performing songwriters and bands of at least her caliber are performing in our hometown all the time. And in recent years, more and more venues are taking advantage of such a commodity by booking them to play in their restaurants, cafes and clubs. Tapping into the amazing Anchorage music scene is as simple as checking your local newspaper club calendar listings or doing a little internet surfing and of course, getting your body out of the house!
People who support local music are often avid, but they don’t tend to come out in droves in our town. One of the greatest things about the art of music creation is that the final product is communal. The listener can enjoy the music as much as the creator can. Think of your favorite song or band and how much they affect you on an emotional level. It’s an interactive art form that, at its best, punctuates your life experience. In the office, in your car, on your TV and at the movie theater, a few minutes of melodic chords and some catchy lyrics strung together are used to great effect on your spirit, heart-strings and mind. And everyday in Anchorage, amazing creators of this fine art go relatively unnoticed.
36 Crazyfists, who honed their skills here at the Anchorage music scene, signed a record deal with major/indie label RoadRunner Records shortly after moving to Portland, Oregon. They come back to perform at least once a year and always hire local bands to be their opening act. Lead singer of the band, Brock Lindow, cites local Anchorage band, T.S. Scream as one of his major influences. T.S. Scream are often thought of as grandfathers in the Anchorage music scene because they have been performing here so long and have inspired so many other people to start bands and perform. While the years have seen many a band come and go, the Screamers have persevered through time to keep doing what they love to do. The two lead songwriters, Steve Mashburn and Scott Ferris, have been performing as T.S. Scream since 1989. Despite weathering several break-ups and roster changes, they just keep coming back stronger. As a band, they check their egos at the door and support local music and talent. They are also role models for not giving up on your dreams. You can learn more and sample their music at http://www.myspace.com/tsscream.
Another great local band that just keeps on trucking is Wupt, who you can often find on the same roster as T.S. Scream. In some ways the local music scene is very interconnected because among the older bands ideas and venues are shared and they generally try to support each other. Wupt is one of the most supportive bands out there, always offering up information to fellow musicians on media support they’ve received and by being in the audience to support fellow bands. This group of married guys call themselves Wupt in reference to being under the thumb of their respective wives. Their songs as well as between-song banter are laden with humor on married life as well as many other topics. If you can poke fun at it, they will, and all on the backdrop of well executed and original music in the realm of Bauhaus meets the funky fresh prince of Belair (before Will Smith was a movie star). I’m often hard-pressed to describe their sound but you can learn more and listen to Wupt at http://www.myspace.com/Wupt.
Another popular type of local music is the singer/songwriter category. Among the many performing songwriters in town, there are a handful of exceptional talents; among the best stands Emily Dalsfoist (who made a name for herself under her maiden name of Tornfelt), and in the last year she has assembled a neat little outfit of musicians who go by the moniker Syran. The band includes her longtime drummer friend, Ford Tennis (from a former band of hers) and her brother, Tyler Tornfelt on stand-up bass. Syran could lazily be labeled folk-rock, but they have a unique style, which is hinged upon Dalsfoist’s signature songwriting technique. The music itself is intricate, with pausing and unusual timings, and the lyrics, as well as their placement, are powerful, precise and not at all standard formula. Check out their song samples and more information at http://www.myspace.com/syran.
You may have noticed that all the bands covered here have Myspace sites to promote themselves. Myspace is a great way to find out about local musicians. The few I’ve mentioned here are but a scratch on the musical surface. All the bands here are also connected to other Anchorage bands on Myspace. If you don’t already have your own page, it’s easy to sign up and then you can communicate with bands as well as be alerted when they are performing. If you’re looking for a good place to start, check out my Myspace site, which I have linked to tons of great local talent. The most important thing you can do to support local music in Alaska is get out there and go to shows. And once you get started, you’ll be amazed at what you find! Happy surfing. http://Www.myspace.com/crystalhutchens.