Salmonfest announces headliners
The 2019 Salmonfest, to be held Aug. 2-4 in Ninilchik, announced its headliner acts on Monday. Grammy winners Jason Mraz and Ani DiFranco top the bill with returning festival favorite The California Honeydrops. Keller Williams, WookieFoot, and more than 20 other prominent acts from all over the country will bring an eclectic mix that promises to provide something special for everyone. Dozens of top Alaska bands will fill out the lineup.
In additon to music, Salmonfest includes parades, kids programs, campfire jams and Alaska’s top art, crafts, cuisine and brews.
Jason Mraz has quietly amassed a diverse fan base throughout all parts of the globe. Since getting his start in coffeehouses in San Diego, Mraz has earned numerous platinum certifications for his various releases, made pop history with his record-breaking classic singles, “I’m Yours” and “I Won’t Give Up,” racked up two Grammy Awards, won the Songwriter Hall of Fame Hal David Award, and sold out amphitheaters and arenas across the globe, including sell-outs at such iconic venues as The Hollywood Bowl, Madison Square Garden, and London’s O2 Arena.
Widely considered a feminist icon, Grammy winner Ani DiFranco is the mother of the DIY movement, being one of the first artists to create her own record label in 1990. While she has been known as the “Little Folksinger,” her music has embraced punk, funk, hip hop, jazz, soul, electronica and even more distant sounds. Her collaborators have included everyone from Utah Phillips to legendary R&B saxophonist Maceo Parker to Prince. She has shared stages with Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, Kris Kristofferson, Greg Brown, Billy Bragg, Michael Franti, Chuck D., and many more.
Her lyrics are rhythmic and poetic, often autobiographical, and strongly political. Most recently, the 2016 single “Play God” has become a battle cry for reproductive rights. Rolling Stone said of her in 2012, “The world needs more radicals like Ani DiFranco: wry, sexy, as committed to beauty and joy as revolution.”
Early-bird tickets are now on sale at http://salmonfestalaska.org/
Fireweed seeks art for June exhibit
Fireweed Gallery has put out a call for entries for its June show, “In The Manner Of.” Open to all media, artists are asked to select any known artist, photographer, clothing designer, jeweler, etc. and be inspired to create one or more works of art reminiscent or inspired by their style. Confirm participation by April 19 by calling Irene at 399-2650.
