Seldovia Music Festival celebrates the return of summer

The 23rd annual Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival returns this week to “celebrate the light in scenic Seldovia.”

Held Thursday, June 15 through Sunday, June 18, the event will showcase a lineup featuring a wide variety of musical genres including R&B, swing, folk, rock, hip-hop, bluegrass, Americana, classical traditions, honky tonk, country, alt punk and Celtic harp music.

This year’s festival will be the first held as an outdoor tent event at the new Seldovia Waterfront venue, according to a press release from the Seldovia Arts Council. In case of inclement weather, the event may be moved to the Susan B. English School.

Higgy’s En Plein Air art event will not take place during the festival. Instead, it will be held Aug. 8-12, the release states.

The music festival kicks off Thursday with a Ferry Jam aboard the Seldovia Bay Ferry, with performers playing for festival attendees as the Kachemak Voyager travels across the bay to Seldovia. A free open mic event will be held Thursday evening for visitors and locals alike to show off their talents, according to the release.

Visitors are encouraged to explore local shops and eateries, trails and beaches on Friday before the noontime busking events in town, where several musician groups will give a taste of their talents at various venues. The festival’s first main stage concert will begin late Friday afternoon and feature this year’s headliners, Connie Brannock’s Tiny House of Funk and Christie Lenée, as well as a number of other acts.

Saturday morning, bring your favorite instrument and voice to join the festival performers in a song circle. The ever-popular Performers’ Workshop will be held at Susan B. English School in the afternoon, where festival attendees will have the opportunity to “learn the how, what, and why of some of the musicians’ tips, techniques, and inspirations for their musical talents,” according to the release.

The festival headliners will return Saturday evening to the main stage with the second half of this year’s performers for “a second night of beautiful music culminating in a collaboration as a finale,” the release states.

Tickets are available for sale on the Seldovia Arts Council website at seldoviaartscouncil.org/festival. Teens aged 13-17 are $16, adults are $49.

For more information, check out the festival at seldoviaartscouncil.org or the Seldovia Arts Council Facebook page.

2023 Program

(Information provided by Seldovia Arts Council)

Headliner: Connie Brannock’s Tiny House of Funk

Connie Brannock is a bona fide crowd-pleaser and award-winning R&B artist. Her Little (Tiny) House of Funk was voted Best R&B band by Tucson Weekly Readers in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022. She was voted Best Jazz Artist in 2022. A vocal fire cat and powerhouse performer, she’s retired U.S. Army and plays to sellout crowds around the Southwest. Connie has released four albums since 2017, including her educational children’s collection: “Snorts and Rattles.” Her songwriting showcases her diverse talent; part funk, part rock, part swing, and all soul! Connie is joined by Arizona Blues Hall of Fame inductees Mitzi Cowell and Liz Fletcher. Adding his formidable improvisational skills to the mix is gifted violinist and performer Rob Paulus.

Connie’s releasing her second offering, “Last Call,” a follow-up to her popular debut album, “Lady on the Bus.” “Last Call” is an EP featuring six new tunes that reflect the uncertainty of what we are facing in today’s tumultuous world. She was in the middle of recording a full-length album when the pandemic hit and decided to release the tunes she and her team managed to finish, with a plan to release a follow-up EP this winter. Connie continues to pay tribute to the legendary artists who shaped her sound on her latest offering: Sly and the Family Stone, Laura Nyro, Carole King, Jeff Lorber, and Patrice.

Headliner: Christie Lenée

“Acoustic Guitarist of the Year” and celebrated singer/songwriter Christie Lenée is more than a musician — she’s an experience. Symphonic compositions flow from her fingertips effortlessly, with sound ranging from transcendental folk-pop to virtuosic instrumentals.

Lenée has been described as “Dave Matthews meets Joni Mitchell and Michael Hedges,” integrating melodic pop lyricism with catchy hooks and percussive, harmonic textures. Her captivating performances have been seen on stages with Tommy Emmanuel, Tim Reynolds (Dave Matthews Band), Andy McKee, Amy Ray (Indigo Girls), Melissa Etheridge, Antigone Rising, Kaki King, Jake Shimabukoro and Christopher Cross, to name a few.

Featured on the Grammy Museum’s virtual program streaming from Los Angeles, a two-time finalist in the USA Songwriting Competition, plus a variety of articles in Guitar Player Magazine, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and the recent notability of “Best Acoustic Guitarists in the World Right Now” by Guitar World Magazine, Lenée continues to awe crowds with the unique essence of her music.

Lenée’s newly released album, “Coming Alive,” reminds devout listeners of her spiritual and sublime songwriting, inspirational lyrics, and of course, sensational guitar playing. “Coming Alive” features iconic guitar hooks and powerhouse vocal performances. She collaborated with a bevy of talented musicians on the album, including co-producer Matthew Odmark (Jars of Clay), drummer Keith Carlock (Steely Dan, Toto, Sting, John Mayer), bassist Adam Nitti (Kenny Loggins, Carrie Underwood, Susan Tedeschi), and keyboardist Charlie Lowell (Jars of Clay). It was a dream lineup put together to create Lenée’s quintessential statement piece.

Lenée was recently featured in Go Magazine, Americana Highways, Bluegrass Situation, Country Queer and Acoustic Guitar Magazine. With an official showcase at AmericanaFest 2022 and a new album in hand, she’s Coming Alive — right on time.

Kenai River Brass Quintet

The Kenai River Brass Quintet is composed of musicians from the Kenai/Soldotna area. All five are members of the Kenai Peninsula Orchestra but also enjoy playing brass quintet music together. They’ve only recently begun performing together and play a variety of music from the classical repertoire to contemporary arrangements of today’s popular music.

Silas Jones

Seventeen-year-old guitar virtuoso Silas Luke Jones brings with him an exciting variety of guitar styles from modern fingerstyle to old-time bluegrass. Born and raised at the head of the bay in Homer, Silas started playing guitar at age 10. He started writing and releasing his own music, playing shows across the state, and won first place in Alaska’s Got Talent in 2021.

Luna & Ursus

Hailing from Homer, Michelle Morton and Joshua Thomas are Luna & Ursus, an up-and-coming creative duo who make music to heal the heart and make positive change. Blending the familiar genres of folk, rock and Americana with powerful vocals, enchanting harp melodies, and a little bit of magic they create something uniquely their own. Music that is thoughtful, passionate, and fun; they’ll have you with a smile and dare you to truly feel.

Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise

Kuf Knotz (producer/emcee) and Christine Elise (harpist/vocalist) have brought their unique blend of hip-hop, soul and classical traditions to various communities. Kuf and Christine’s music explores themes of unity and the infinite possibility of creating a better world. They fuse hip-hop poetry with bluesy beats supported by the harp. And, you can dance to it. Cultivating the juxtaposition of mindful reflection and feeling free to effortlessly move to the rhythms, their performance is an era-fusing, genre-bending journey intended to leave the listener feeling invigorated. The duo has opened for Wyclef Jean, Yellowman, Rising Appalachia, Slick Rick, Digable Planets and have been featured on NPR Music and WHYY. Kuf was named Philadelphia Magazine Best Rapper of 2022. In 2018 Kuf and Christine founded a community music therapy outreach performance project called “Higher Grounds Music,” using the power of music, clinical training, and performance experience to foster personal growth.

The Nameless

Formed in 2013, The Nameless have nearly a decade of live performances behind them. With roots in pop punk, heavy metal, alternative and classic rock this four-piece blends each of their personal musical styles and influences, resulting in a unique sound that varies song to song. The band consists of Kyle Wilson on bass, Nick Greene and Chris Alsup on guitars, and Calliope Rose on drums. This will be their first performance in Seldovia and they are very excited to play in the festival!

Dâryl and the Scribs

Dâryl and the Scribs are a local three-piece band comprised of brothers Sam and Zack Scribner and bassist/multi-instrumentalist Dâryl Wheeler. Blends of folk, indie rock, punk, and pop music meld together through each member’s diverse musical influences to make the Dâryl and the Scribs sound. When they’re not performing together, every member of the band focuses on their solo creative projects. Dâryl has produced, recorded, and performed for several local Alaskan bands, including Homer acts, Jim Maloney and Smoke in the Trees. Zack is always working on his own music, a unique variety of experimental bedroom folk, with a lyrical and musical maturity beyond his years. And Sam recently produced an ambient music/film project titled “Stitches,” his feature film debut.

Tuneweavers

The Tuneweavers are a honky tonk country band that plays classic country songs with a swinging rhythm. Robert Pepper plays the slide guitar. Becky Weaver plays the upright bass and sings both lead and harmonies. Barnie Weaver plays rhythm guitar and is a lead vocalist. Both Barnie and Becky are from middle Tennessee and have a natural twang in their voices that lends authenticity to this style of music.

Hope Cassity

Hope Cassity is a singer and songwriter from Nashville. Hope has a story to tell and a heart to tell it. She makes her mark in the hearts of the towns she visits. In 2018, just days after signing a major radio deal and tour that would have been a turning point in her career, Hope was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer that occurs in only 1% of women her age. She was told without surgery and chemo she could have just months to live, but she kept on hoping as her namesake says. Now, four years later, she’s on the road to recovery and is burning up the road miles on tour.

Her song, “The Idea of You,” was included in the soundtrack for Diggstown, a show on Fox, whose soundtrack including Hope’s song was nominated for an Emmy in 2021. She’s recently opened in front of thousands for Tyler Farr, Darius Rucker, Lee Brice and Jerrod Niemann. Clearly, Hope is on a path to a comeback, as she also sold out two masterclasses in songwriting for Marriott International Hotel Brands during the battle as well.

Hope Cassity is an act to hear not only for her honesty in crafting a song that hits home but, also for the guts to survive anything and keep going despite all odds. Maybe you listen simply for the fact that she is living out one song at a time, the truest meaning of her name HOPE but whatever the case … listen. You too will be surprised at what healing can happen through songs written from the heart.