SEPT 5-7 2025
FINDING STILLNESS IN THE STORM: ANCHORAGE MUSICIAN’S JOURNEY THROUGH DARKNESS TO LIGHT
Contributed by John’s Home Studio
When Anchorage musician John Larson opens his upcoming album “Through The Stillness, Through The Dark” with sounds that simulate psychosis, he’s not making an abstract artistic statement. He’s translating lived experience into music, pulling something beautiful from the chaos that once consumed his mind.
“I set up some microphones and just improvised for hours until I had a huge collection of sounds to process,” Larson explains of creating the opening track “Brain State 0_1.” “At the time a lot of those thoughts were larger than life. They really consumed me. I would catch on to a thought that felt good and true and would follow it until it ripped my world apart.”
The process of sculpting that opening piece - hours of automating volume and panning until it felt just right - became something magical. “I had pulled out my worries and troubles and had painted something beautiful with it,” he says. That transformation from chaos to art mirrors Larson’s nearly two-decade journey through mental health crisis, war trauma from serving as an infantryman in Iraq, homelessness, addiction, and ultimately recovery. The 15-track album, releasing July 31st, chronicles this path with track titles that read like chapters: “The Mind Collapses,” “Stumble Onward,” “Shedding Of The Old Skin,” and finally “Into The Fading Sunlight.”
“Recovery is an ongoing process so there are always things that evolve if you are on the right path,” Larson reflects. “The album ends on a question and a retreat back into old patterns. It’s hard to know where to go when you just want to hide from the light.”
Larson’s lowest point came in 2016 when a manic episode cost him his job, home, and car. After being kicked out of his parents’ house and spending terrifying nights at the homeless shelter, he finally found the courage to seek help. “One day on a Friday afternoon I had had enough. I went to the VA and said I needed help.”
The path to stability took years. After multiple hospitalizations and failed medications, he finally found treatment that worked. His therapist’s parting words proved prophetic: “Focus on the music and everything will fall into place for you.”
“That’s when the music really started to heal me,” Larson says. “I was able to quit smoking, quit weed and eventually started volunteering because I was finally out of survival mode.”
Alaska’s extreme seasons deeply influence his sound. Winter nights walking through his snow-covered neighborhood provide the album’s contemplative stillness. “It just becomes so quiet and so still, like the world has stopped just for me to journey around in it,” he describes. Summer brings the opposite energy - “loud, energetic, movement” - creating the emotional peaks that balance the introspective valleys.
The album features collaborations with local musicians Katie Wasko, Brett Lindsay, Matt Hansen, James Daggett, and Mercy Cofield. “Katie and Brett are fantastic improvisers. Everything they recorded with me was written on the spot,” Larson notes, including one piece in the challenging 11/4 time signature they navigated naturally.
Already gaining local recognition through Alaska Public Media’s “Indie Alaska” program and currently under review consideration at A Closer Listen, a respected instrumental music publication, Larson’s work demonstrates how art can transform the darkest experiences into something meaningful. As someone who now works helping families in crisis, he understands the power of bringing light into difficult moments.
“Through The Stillness, Through The Dark” will be available July 31st on band camp and streaming services everywhere and proves that sometimes the most beautiful music comes from the hardest journeys.
Find John Larson’s music at: johnlarsonak.bandcamp.com
THANK YOU FOR MAKING OUR ANNUAL BENEFIT GARAGE SALE A HUGE SUCCESS!
Contributed by Rowan Holmes
We are beyond grateful to everyone who came out to support Alaska Junior Theater at our Annual Benefit Garage Sale this past weekend. Thanks to you, we raised thousands of dollars to help bring professional live arts experiences to children and families across Alaska.
A special thank-you to our incredible Board Members, all of whom showed up to pitch in and make the weekend a true success. Your time, energy, and generosity made all the difference.
Missed AJT’s Annual Benefit Garage Sale? Your chance to make a difference is far from over. All year long, you can support the magic of live performing arts by donating your gently used clothing, shoes, and accessories to FashionPact—just let them know it’s for Alaska Junior Theater.
Items can be dropped off at FashionPact, located at Lake Otis and 68th, Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Why does this matter? For many children in Alaska, an Alaska Junior Theater (AJT) performance is their very first experience with live theater—an opportunity not all families can afford. AJT makes the arts accessible, bringing professional performances to young audiences who might otherwise miss out. The arts offer so much more than entertainment—they nurture empathy, spark curiosity, and inspire young minds to connect with the world in meaningful and lasting ways.
Your donation helps AJT subsidize tickets for students and low-income families, cover the cost of transportation so schools can attend, present diverse international performances that broaden worldviews, offer study guides and teacher resources
that connect performances to classroom learning, and give every child—no matter their background—a chance to dream big, think creatively, and experience the power of live performance.
Even better, when someone buys your donated item at FashionPact, they can choose another local Alaskan nonprofit (like AJT) to receive an additional 15% of the profit. That means your donation creates a ripple of kindness, reaching far beyond the stage.
Your gently used items can create unforgettable moments—from a child’s first gasp of wonder, to their laughter echoing through the theater, to students seeing beloved characters leaping from the page to the stage—it all starts with you.
It’s easy. It’s impactful. And it’s stylish. Donate today. Support tomorrow. Keep the giving going all year long.
For more info or to check out the amazing SOUNDS Like Fun! season you’ll be supporting, or to find out about season and single tickets, visit akjt.org.
We're looking for enthusiastic volunteers to cheer on athletes, keep scores, wave flags, and spread high-fives (our athletes love those!). There are various other fulfilling roles available too, all of which are a breeze. By volunteering, you'll have an incredible experience and make plenty of new athlete friends!
HELP US GROW OUR CALENDAR!
Submit your event and we’ll print it in the next edition!
JULY
July 19th @10AM-7PM
Bishop’s Attic 50 Year Celebration! Make A Scene
840 S Bailey St, Palmer, Bishop’s Attic (907) 745-4215
Expect Food Trucks, Giveaways, Discounts and More
July 19th @12PM
Trapper Creek’s 18th Annual Fireweed Festival
Sunshine Community Health Center 9971 East Trapper Creek Circle, Trapper Creek Community Center ssmith@sunshineclinic.org (907) 376-2273
July 25th @11AM-5PM
Hope Point Community Hike in Hope TrailMates
Hope Point Trail connect@trailmates.online
Tickets available trailmates.online
July 26th @10AM-1AM
Six Mile Creek Whitewater & Bluegrass Festival
Event by Tim Johnson Mile 3.4 Hope Highway For more information find this event on Facebook
July 27th @12PM
Eagle River Market
Eagle River Market
10950 Mausel St, Eagle River, Odd Man Rush Brewing eaglerivermarket.com
July 31st @7PM
Salmonfest Pre Party ft Free Creatures, Blackwater Railroad, Tim Easton & Katy Guillen & The Drive
Creekbend Café in Hope, Alaska 64777 2nd Street, Hope, AK
Tickets available online to purchase at linktr.ee/crkbnd
July 31st @7PM
High Step Society Live at Palmer Alehouse
Palmer Alehouse
320 E Dahlia Ave, Palmer, AK (907) 746-2537
Free Show
July 31st @7:30PM
The Music Machine
Alaska Center for the Performing Arts 621 W. 6th Ave themusicmachineanchorage.com themusicmachine@live.com (907) 223-2036
Cost ranges from $10-$25
AUGUST
August 1st @9AM
Well Child Checks & Sports Physicals
Sunshine Community Health Center
34300 South Talkeetna Spur Road HC 89 BOX 8190, Both Locations www.sunshineclinic.org (907) 491-5016
Cost: Billed to Insurance
August 16th @6PM-11PM
Houston Founders Day
City of Houston 13965 W Armstrong Rd (907) 892-6869
August 16th @2PM
Night Music
Mat-Su Flute Choir
Wasilla Public Library (907) 414-1388
August 21st @7PM-9PM
An Evening with Bill Nye the Science Guy
Alaska Center for the Performing Arts 621 W 6th Ave (907) 263-2900
Tickets available at centertix.com
Eric, Age 55 Ary, Age 6
THE MAT-SU FLUTE CHOIR PRESENTS NIGHT MUSIC
Contributed by Sara Bowen
The Mat-Su Flute Choir and friends return to the Wasilla Public Library to share music with the community with their free chamber music concert. The “Night Music” concert takes place at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, August 16th, at the Wasilla Public Library. Admission is free.
The Flute Choir will tour through a variety of music genres, from a Baroque concerto by Joseph Boden de Boismorteir to the modern Nightscapes by Grant Horsley. Also performing in this concert are the exceptional string instrumentalists of the Mat-Su Chamber Players.
The concert will open with an arrangement of Mozart’s Queen of the Night Aria, featuring Lara Foldenauer on solo piccolo. The bright piccolo sings atop the choir’s accompaniment, sometimes holding melodic conversations with Flute 1. Supporting underneath are the alto flutes and cello. In absence of a bass flute, Nanette Lundelle plays cello in most of the pieces, effectively grounding the atmospherically high voices of the flutes.
Mid concert, the Flute Choir breaks for the Mat-Su Chamber Players to take center stage. They will play a selection of Mozart string quartet movements and Arthur Foote’s Night Piece, featuring flute and string quartet. Night Piece is an emotional and temperamental number, at times hopeful, at times brooding in despair.
The Flute Choir returns with another collection of songs, ending with a brilliant arrangement of Fly Me to the Moon by Igor Penido. This arrangement synthesizes
The Mat-Su Flute Choir presents
MUSI C
featuring the Mat - Su Chamber Players
Bart Howard’s Jazz classic with melodies from La La Land (Justin Hurwitz), resulting in a funky and playful piece. It’s pure fun that ends another season of summer fluting. This is the third summer concert of the Mat-Su Flute Choir, started in 2023 by the flute section of the Mat-Su Concert Band. While the concert band is on hiatus for summer break, the flutes gather for the camaraderie and joy of sharing music together. Each summer culminates in bringing music to the library with a free concert.
FREE CONCERT at Church on the Rock in Wasilla
This event supports the launch of our Committed to Life school assembly — bringing suicide prevention & mental health resources to local students this fall. saturday, AUGUST 2ND • 6pm
2:00PM
2:00PM
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 2025
WASILLA PUBLIC LIBRARY Mat-Su Chamber Players
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 2025
WASILLA PUBLIC LIBRARY
FREE ADMISSION FREE ADMISSION
ALASKA’S LARGEST EDM FESTIVAL RETURNS FOR YEAR 4 SACRED ACRE 2025 LINEUP IS HERE!
Contributed by Sacred Acre AK
NINILCHIK, AK — Sacred Acre, Alaska’s largest electronic music festival, returns for its fourth year, blending world-class music, immersive storytelling, and a mission-driven call to protect our oceans. This year’s festival, hosted in Ninilchik from September 5–7, promises to be a sanctuary for those seeking both adventure and tranquility amidst Alaska’s breathtaking landscapes. More than a festival, Sacred Acre is a convergence of sound and sustainability, where the bass echoes the urgency of protecting the Bering Sea from factory trawling and bycatch destruction.
This year’s lineup features a dynamic range of artists renowned for their vibrant performances and profound musical influence. Headliners include the globally celebrated multi-genre producer TroyBoi, known for his diverse electronic bangers and high-profile production credits. Jade Cicada also headlines, fresh from launching his new EP and a national tour, bringing his acclaimed sound design to the stage. They are joined by electronic stalwarts such as Desert Dwellers, Dirt Monkey, and Emancipator, and a lively mix of hybrid DJs and live performers including The Funk Hunters, Lazy Syrup Orchestra, G-Space, Phyphr, and
McWavy. The festival will also spotlight rising stars like Meduso B2B MLOTIK and Mantra Sounds, ensuring a richly diverse and inclusive experience alongside a bevy of local and regional artists. Stunning visuals by Actualize, Glass Crane, Stef.fx, and Tekton enhance the festival ambiance.
At Sacred Acre, music is just the beginning. While world-class performances light up the stage and bass pulses through the air, our true passion lies in environmental advocacy—specifically, fighting the devastating impacts of factory trawling. Through immersive experiences, educational workshops, and direct action, we invite every attendee to help protect our oceans and preserve the delicate balance of our ecosystems. Sacred Acre is about creating real change through music, art, and collective engagement.
Special programming and experiences: Family Super Jam and Sea Legs Stilt Troupe performances will captivate attendees of all ages. Well-being activities at the Stillwater include yoga, breathwork, ecstatic dance, cacao ceremony, and sound baths. Educational offerings include psychedelic education sessions to expand consciousness.
Excursion packages and elevated experiences:
Everlight Clearing Elevated Experience provides VIPlike services with direct liaison support to help plan your Alaskan adventure. Bumpin’ on the Bay is a cruise on Kachemak Bay featuring a national DJ. Helicopter tours depart directly from festival grounds. Alaskan adventure tours include underwater halibut spearfishing and plant foraging. Immersive characters presented by Sea Legs Stilt Troupe unveil new mysterious forces shaping the festival’s narrative.
Chris Miller, Festival Director, shares his excitement:
“With almost half of our attendees coming from outside Alaska, we’re thrilled to offer a festival experience that not only showcases spectacular music but also engages with critical environmental issues. We’re dedicated to creating a space where passion for music and responsibility towards our planet goes hand in hand.”
Tickets are now on sale, offering fans the chance to secure their spot at what promises to be one of the most unique and enriching festival experiences in North America. Extend your Sacred Acre Festival experience by venturing to nearby towns known for their epic landscapes and rich cultural history. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit sacredacreak.com
ALASKA’S FIRST VANLIFE & MUSIC FESTIVAL
Contributed by Lindra Paradise
Ever dreamed of hitting the open road and living in a camper? Here’s your excuse.
Vanstock Alaska is a four-day, three-night festival July 18–21 at the jaw-dropping, 420-acre Boyd Bison Ranch outside Palmer. Think wide-open barley fields, a private lake, and 360° mountain views—plus hundreds of outdoor-loving locals and travelers making the pilgrimage north through the Alcan.
Vanstock founder Lindra Paradise is a full-time nomad, born and raised in Palmer. A seasoned festival veteran and 2023 Alaska State Fair featured artist, she’s brought smiles and facepainting to Friday Fling, Colony Days, Salmonfest, Forest Fair, and ChikenStock. Her vision? A celebration of community, camping, music, and self-reli-
ance on Alaska’s most beautiful festival grounds.
Festival highlights include a family-friendly environment with community-building activities, 14 live bands (local and touring), skill-building workshops on solar, electrical systems, van building, and self-development, Indigenous-led drumming, dancing, and storytelling, a community raffle benefiting Native Alaskan nonprofits, a camper and classic car show, and a curated vendor village with space for over 2,000 attendees.
This isn’t a corporate expo. Vanstock is a curated camping experience—authentic, grounded, and deeply connected to the vanlife and local community.
All are welcome—RV, van, truck, motorcycle, or car-and-tent campers. Join hundreds already en route through Canada. Tickets and info: vanstock.org
Van displayed on the water front on the Vanstockgrounds private lake.
Founder of Vanstock sits on top of her van in front of the Alaska Hwy sign in Dawson Creek, Canada
Music
ZEDD JOINS ALASKA STATE FAIR CONCERT SERIES
Contributed by Melissa Keefe
Tickets on sale to general public Friday, July 11, at 10 a.m. AKDT. He’s performed at the NFL Super Bowl.
Earned a Grammy for Best Dance
Recording. Held the #1 spot at Top 40 radio for seven consecutive weeks. Sold over 5 million headlining tickets globally, racked up over 31.6 billion streams across
all platforms, and created his own sold-out music festival. And now he’s coming to the Alaska State Fair.
Multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning artist, DJ, and producer Zedd will perform Friday, August 29, filling the final spot in the 2025 ConocoPhillips Alaska Concert Series line-up. The show will begin at 7 p.m. with an opening act (TBD), followed by Zedd at 8 p.m. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, July 11, at 10 a.m. AKDT at alaskastatefair.org.
Since making his debut in 2012, Zedd has worked with a diverse range of artists to create hits, including Foxes on “Clarity,” Hayley Williams on the RIAA platinum-certified hit “Stay the Night,” Selena Gomez on the platinum-certified track “I Want You to Know,” Alessia Cara on their hit single “Stay,” and Maren Morris and Grey on “The Middle.” Zedd released his third studio album, the Grammy-nominated Telos, in 2024, and his 2025 Las Vegas residency with Tao Group Hospitality is currently underway. Zedd completes the Fair’s 2025 Concert Series line-up, which features
Medium Build on August 15; Rainbow Kitten Surprise on August 16; “Weird Al” Yankovic on August 17; Chris Tomlin on August 18; Warren Zeiders on August 21; Mastodon on August 22; Billy Currington on August 23; Wiz Khalifa on August 24; The Beach Boys on August 25; Sean Paul on August 28; Zedd on August 29; Foreigner on August 30; Dwight Yoakam on August 31; and David Spade on September 1.
Concert-goers can choose between concert-only tickets or tickets that include Fair admission. Included admission is discounted and valid only for the day of the concert.
Tickets that include Fair admission must be purchased by Thursday, August 14. Full ticket options and pricing details are available at alaskastatefair.org. Convenience fees apply to all online ticket purchases. Visit alaskastatefair.org for additional concert details. For more info, contact Melissa Keefe, Director of Marketing and Communications, at mk@alaskastatefair.org.
Arts
ARTIST RETREAT
Contributed by Martha Happs, Valley Fine Arts Association
Do you need a mini vacation not far from home? Somewhere quiet and peaceful—a beautiful location that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with comfortable lodgings for an overnight stay. A place surrounded by creative artists, new friends, old friends, and the energy of making art.
Come join the fun at Valley Fine Arts’ 10th Annual Fall Artists Retreat in Willow, Alaska, on August 15–17. Just far enough away on the back side of Hatcher Pass to feel like a vacation, the retreat will be held at North Star Bible Camp, just outside of Willow on 17 Mile Lake.
There will be lots to do. VFAA will be offering a variety of classes to sign up for. Friday, August 15, morning session (9:30–12:30): Nature Journaling with Barbara Johnson—Barbara will show you how to capture what you see in a journal form, sharing her own small sketchbooks from years of nature journaling; Multi-Media with Renee Morhain—learn how to incorporate paints, pens, markers and more onto canvas to create truly unique pieces; Multi-Media is a popular category at the Alaska State Fair.
Friday, August 15, afternoon session (1:30–4:30): Pet Portraits in Pastels or Oils with Gina Murrow—Gina has been a professional artist for over 40 years and will teach you how to capture your pet’s personality; Acrylic Skins with Renee Morhain—learn to create thin, flexible acrylic layers and apply them to artwork.
Saturday, August 16, morning session (9:30–12:30): Painting Paper for Collage with Chris Zafren—create color, shape, and pattern with tissue paper, stencils and textures to later tear and collage; Acrylic Mediums with Renee Morhain—learn the differences and benefits of acrylic gels and pastes and how to use them in your art.
Saturday, August 16, afternoon session (1:30–4:30): “The Eyes
Have It” with Gina Murrow—study the eye shapes, colors, and depths unique to animals and make a series of small portraits to enliven larger works; Collage Demo and Making with Chris Zafren—use your painted papers to collage a finished piece, with techniques and tips from Chris; Acrylic Landscapes with Renee Morhain—focus on creating natural colors, perspective, and composition.
Sunday, August 17, morning session (10:30–1:30): Travel Journaling with Gina Murrow—cover everything from Plein Air painting and travel sketching to flying with art supplies, packing wet paintings, and crossing borders; Silk Scarf Painting with Gina Murrow—paint an 11” x 60” silk scarf using silk paints; once ironed, it’s ready to wear. Everything is provided with class sign-up.
It’s going to be a fun retreat. If you don’t want to take a class, that’s fine—just come paint your own project. Evening bonfires and prize events will feature giveaways from sponsors including Blaines Art in Anchorage, Michaels in Wasilla, Stillman & Birn, Winsor & Newton, M. Graham and Ampersand. More info and registration at valleyfinearts.org
