MUSIC SCHEDULE AND ARTICLE BELOW
Suzy Crosby Shares Some Insight Into Alaskan Music At The Alaska State Fair
Contributed by Josh Fryfogle
I reached out to Suzy Crosby, who has been the Alaskan music booking contact for 16 years. Suzy is the person to talk to if you are an Alaskan and you want to perform at the Alaska State Fair!
In addition to booking music for the fair, Suzy is a musician and performer herself, adept at her craft. I’ve had the pleasure of running the sound board for Suzy’s performances on several occasions, and it’s truly an experience I look forward to. Her group, Mountain Waxwings, are as smooth as silk, with elegant harmonies and masterful musicianship.
It’s nice to know that someone like Suzy, with a real understanding of the mindset of musicians, is responsible for Alaskan musicians’ presence at the Alaska State Fair each year.
She was gracious enough to answer some questions that I think my readers - whether they are musicians or not - will find interesting and informative:
JF - How long have you been the music booking person for local Alaskan music at the state fair?
Suzy - I started mid-season in 2002. The newly-hired entertainment manager realized the job consisted of an overwhelming amount of detail work and quit in June, and Carol Lombardo was asked to step in for the interim. We had a chance conversation a few weeks later, Carol said she needed to train a replacement, so she could retire, and I volunteered to be that person. Carol retired after the 2002 Fair and I became the entertainment manager in 2003.
JF - How long have you played music yourself?
Suzy - Since the age of 12, when my parents bought me my first guitar for Christmas. I started playing in a band in college, and later played for a number of years as a solo singer-songwriter. I came to Alaska from Montana in 1983 for a two-week gig in Denali Park and never went back. I now play mostly with a trio (Mountain Waxwings) – the vocal blend and three-part harmonies are hard to beat!
JF - What are some things that Alaskan musicians should consider when reaching out to perform at the Alaska State Fair?
Suzy - First and foremost, remember that the fair overall is a G-rated, family-friendly event. There have certainly been some notable exceptions to that on the main stage (over which I have no control), but the free-with-fair-admission entertainment really needs to stay clean and upbeat. If your music has a broad appeal for a mixed-age crowd, you are much more likely to be hired than someone whose style or content falls into a very narrow niche.
JF - What sort of promotional materials do you appreciate being provided from the artist, when deciding which musical acts will be selected for the fair?
Suzy - Put together some sort of EPK. It can be as simple as an email with the necessary info and a few links to live performances, or more elaborate if you wish. Whether cool and fancy or simple and low-tech doesn’t matter, as long as it conveys the basic essential info, including the following:
a) Your name and basic contact info (phone/email)
b) Name of your band, and style of music
c) Number of performers, and what instruments they play
d) A brief bio (short paragraph) or a link to your website if you have one
e) Recent, recurring and upcoming gigs – helpful to include manager name and contact info from places you’ve played regularly
f) A set list with highlights of your typical show
g) Any blackout dates on your upcoming schedule
h) Your usual performance fee (best to give a range - somewhere between lowballing yourself, or pricing yourself out of reach)
JF - What’s something that musicians do, that they shouldn’t, if they want to perform at the fair?
Suzy - I’m going to answer this in the negative to prevent any misunderstanding!
a) Don’t send music clips with really dark themes and obscene lyrics, and then say, “Oh, that was my “divorce album”. I don’t do those songs anymore.” Or my other favorite, “Okay, I’ll change the words for your show.” To which my usual response is, “Sorry, we don’t have anything to offer you.”
b) Don’t use Facebook for gig requests - if you want to come across as a professional, use my work email. Getting communications scattered out between two or more formats leads to confusion and the potential for either a double-booking or falling through the cracks altogether.
c) If you do send a link to your FB page, it should be to a specific video, not to your general page with the expectation that someone will spend time hunting through all of your random posts. Note: Those posts WILL give a viewer a general impression of you – make sure it’s the impression you want them to see! Oh yeah, and if your FB band page only has 30 “likes”, you should think twice about using it to promote your act!
d) Don’t rely heavily on music stands or reading music during a stage performance. An iPad or something to hold a set list and a few cues is fine, as long it doesn’t dominate the stage, and 90% of your focus is on the audience, with just an occasional glance at a cheat sheet. If you are singing or playing, you should be looking out at your audience, not down at your music or lyrics.
e) Vocal harmonies are either the deal-clincher (on-key vocals with two to four people each singing a clean harmony line) or a deal-killer (someone is off-key, or a second singer is doubling the melody with the lead singer - the worst). That’s a hard one to explain to people who literally can’t hear the difference, or are unable to find a harmony so they just sing what they can find. If you can’t find and sing a good harmony to complement the lead singer’s melody line, then Do. Not. Sing.
JF - What’s the ideal description of the perfect Alaskan music act for the fair - what are you looking for more than anything else?
Suzy - In my experience entertainers on stage looking out at the crowd fall into two categories:
a) “I am here for your listening pleasure - what can I play to put a smile on your faces and make you want to hear more?”
b) “You are here for my performing pleasure – I don’t care what you might want to hear, I’m going to sing whatever I want, and too bad if you don’t like it.”
Of course, we try to book acts that please the crowd. The entertainers who do it to perfection exhibit a three-way combination of skill, talent and personality, seasoned with authenticity and humor. (A perfect description of Hobo Jim, now that I think of it!)
MUSIC SCHEDULE BELOW
ALASKA STATE FAIR
LOCAL MUSIC SCHEDULE:
ASF EVENTS TENT:
Friday, August 31
7:00-11:00 Drink Beer, Save Farms
8:00-10:00 Sugar Strings
THE GATHERING PLACE:
Thursday, August 23
2:30-3:00 AKU MATU
Friday, August 24
2:30-3:00 AKU MATU
5:30-6:00 Sam Johns, AK Rebel
7:00-9:00 H3
Saturday, August 2S
1:30-2:00 Sam Johns, AK Rebel
4:00-4:30 Sam Johns, AK Rebel
Sunday, August 26
1:30-2:00 Sam Johns, AK Rebel
4:00-4:30 Sam Johns, AK Rebel
Thursday, August 30
7:00-8:00 Blast From The Past
Friday, August 31
2:00-3:00 Byron Nicholai I Sing. You Dance.
7:00-9:00 Pamyua
Saturday, September 1
3:00-3:30 Sam Johns, AK Rebel
7:00-9:00 Pamyua
Sunday, September 2
1:00-1:30 Sam Johns, AK Rebel
7:00-9:00 Marc Brown
Monday, September 3
5:00-6:30 Marc Brown
COLONY STAGE:
Saturday, August 25
7:00-9:00 Rock-It Rangers
Sunday, August 26
3:00-3:30 Alaska Sound Celebration
5:00-6:00 Colony Calypso
Monday, August 27
5:00-6:30 Palmer High Jazz Band
7:00-10:00 Blues Core
Tuesday, August 28
7:00-10:00 Honky-Tonk All-Stars
Wednesday, August 29
7:00-10:00 Blue Voodoo
Thursday, August 30
4:30-5:00 Stevie the Blessed
6:00-6:30 Stevie the Blessed
7:00-10:00 Dan Mac Band
5:00-6:00 Alaska Children's Choir
7:00-10:00 Chill Factor
Saturday, September 1
11:00-1:00 Alaska State Fair Fiddle Contest
1:00-1:30 Midnight Sons Chorus
7:00-9:00 Marc Brown
Sunday, September 2
7:00-9:00 Hector's Combo Tropical
Monday, September 3
4:30-5:30 Tomodachi Daiko Drummers
SLUICEBOX STAGE:
Thursday, August 23
2:00-3:00 Dan Lesperance
3:30-5:00 Silver Train
9:30-11:30 H3
Friday, August 24
2:00-3:00 Lulu Small
3:30-5:00 Harp Daddy & Backcountry Mojo
5:30-7:00 Those Guys
9:30-11:30 Area 907
Saturday, August 25
1:30-2:30 The 3 of Hearts
3:00-4:30 Rock-It Rangers
7:00-8:30 Hobo Jim
9:00-11:30 The Ken Peltier Band
Sunday, August 26
1:30-2:30 The 3 of Hearts
3:00-4:30 Carhartt Brothers
5:00-6:30 Conway Seavey
7:00-9:00 Those Guys
Monday, August 27
2:00-3:00 The Al-Tex
3:30-4:30 Blues Core
5:00-6:30 Cold Fusion
7:00-8:30 Element 47
9:00-11:30 Against the Grain
Tuesday, August 28
2:00-3:00 Blaine Long
3:30-4:30 Honky Tonk Allstars
5:00-6:30 Derral Gleason
7:00-8:30 Danger Money
9:00-11:30 Chill Factor
Wednesday, August 29
3:00-4:30 T.Harvey Combo
5:00-6:30 Twilight Sloan
7:00-8:30 The Stack
9:00-11:30 Nothin' But Trouble
Thursday, August 30
2:00-3:00 The Al-Tex
3:30-4:30 Blast from the Past
5:00-6:30 Derral Gleason
9:30-11:30 Savannah Jack
Friday, August 31
2:00-3:00 Lisa Good & Friends
3:30-4:30 Kayti & the Alter Boys
5:00-6:30 Adam Patterson & the Heavy Hearts
7:00-9:00 Agents of Karma
Saturday, September 1
1:00-2:00 The 3 of Hearts
2:30-4:00 Marc Brown
4:306:00 Denali Cooks
6:308:30 Hobo Jim
9:00-11:30 The Ken Peltier Band
Sunday, September 2
1:00-2:00 Danger Town
2:30-4:00 Lulu & The Small Band
4:30-6:00 Cold Country
6:30-8:30 Hobo Jim
9:00-11:00 Savannah Jack
Monday, September 3
1:30-2:30 Schlomer Bros. Harmonica Jam
3:00-4:00 Jerry Wessling Band
4:30-5:30 I Like Robots
6:00-7:30 Yachtly Crew
8:00-11:00 Hobo Jim
BLUEBONNET STAGE:
Thursday, August 23
1:00-2:00 Gil Rodriguez
2:00-3:00 Emily Anderson
4:00-5:00 Emma Hill
5:00-6:00 Small Souls
Friday, August 24
1:00-2:00 Emily Anderson
2:00-3:00 Harp Daddy & Mudd
4:00-5:00 Ava Earl
5:00-6:00 Lulu Small
Saturday, August 25
12:30-1:00 Eric Giliam
1:00-2:00 Jubilee
2:00-3:00 High Lonesome Sou
4:00-4:30 Three Fish In A Tree
4:30-5:00 Hopper Family Band
5:00-6:00 Bootleg Brown
Sunday, August 26
12:30-1:00 Eric Giliam
1:00-2:00 Ryan's Bridge
2:00-3:00 Flintlock Special
4:00-5:00 Robin Hopper
5:00-6:00 Carhartt Brothers
7:30-8:30 Blaine Long
Monday, August 27
12:30-1:00 Eric Giliam
1:00-2:00 Becky Kotter
2:00-3:00 Mountain Brothers
4:00-5:00 Blaine Long
5:00-6:00 Dan Lesperance
7:00-8:30 Frank & Friends
Tuesday, August 28
12:30-1:00 Eric Giliam
1:00-2:00 Country Roads
2:00-3:00 TIMBEROD
4:00-5:00 Nuther Brothers
5:00-6:00 Whee Duet
Wednesday, August 29
12:30-1:00 Eric Giliam
1:00-2:00 Gary Sloan & Robert Howard
2:00-3:00 Devynn Maclure
4:00-5:00 The Al-Tex
5:00-6:00 Michael Howard
Thursday, August 30
12:30-1:00 Eric Giliam
1:00-2:00 Melissa Beck
2:00-3:00 Derral Gleason Unplugged
4:00-4:30 Homegrown by Heroes
4:30-5:00 Songs from the Farm
5:00-6:00 Tanana Rafters
Friday, August 31
12:30-1:00 Eric Giliam
1:00-2:00 John Cook
2:00-3:00 Larry Z
4:00-5:00 Lucky Spider
5:00-6:00 Glenn Highway Girls
Saturday, September 1
12:30-1:00 Eric Giliam
1:00-2:00 Hannah Voter Band
2:00-3:00 Alaska Suzuki Fiddlers
4:00-5:00 Mountain Waxwings
5:00-6:00 Three of Hearts
Sunday, September 2
12:30-1:00 Eric Giliam
1:00-2:00 Cody Konop
2:00-3:00 Brother Will
4:00-5:00 Brubaker Family Band
5:00-6:00 Danny & Amanda
7:00-8:00 Hitchin' Post Reunion Jam
Monday, September 3
12:30-1:00 Eric Giliam
1:00-2:00 Bill & Gail
2:00-3:00 Tyson James & Friends
4:00-5:00 Ginger Boatrwright
5:00-6:00 Carhartt Brothers
