Contributed by Josh Fryfogle
Rick Brooks performs at Everett’s in Wasilla:
Wednesdays and Fridays through January 2018.
February 7 - Diana Z
February 9 - Rick Brooks
February 21 - Rick Brooks
February 23 - Rick Brooks
February 28 - Diana Z
He is a consummate professional, and an expert in his craft - at the top of the hierarchy of Alaskan guitarists, from my view.
Rick Brooks has been a musical influence across Alaska for years, and while his performance is usually guitar-centric, with some vocal accompaniment on occasion, Rick is a man with stories too - with some of the great names of music. His knowledge of the corpus of music history is broad as well, and I think it lends a master’s touch to his song choices.
As a guitar geek myself, with a love for the lore of music, I couldn’t help but be enrapt with Rick’s stories, his personal experiences as a guitarist - and the gleeful enthusiasm he experiences when he talks about those times - past and present.
We talked about his upcoming plans to travel and perform in some of the classic blues venues in Mississippi, in between sets at his recent gig at Everett’s in Wasilla. We talked about Steve Vai, and Zappa, and some other musical esoterica that most readers don’t care to hear about.
As we talked, a couple walked by, and the man clearly had a real appreciation for Rick’s world-class skill and attention to detail. He just wanted to talk music, and I am guessing he would have stayed longer without his wife tugging him away.
Rick is so good at what he does, anyone can enjoy his performance, but you have to be a bit of a geek to really get it. He’s not flash and fanfare, he is modeled and modulated by years of intellectual and practical experience. He knows his stuff, and he plays to the room.
I am very glad to see this new restaurant, Everett’s, reflecting their intention to be an upscale option in the Mat-Su by hiring world-class artists like Rick.
Rick Brooks is a musician’s musician, the cream of the crop.
And the food was good.
