Portugal. The Man Returns to Alaska to Rock Fair’s 2021 Concert Series

Contributed by Melissa Keefe, Alaska State Fair, Inc.

Alaska’s hometown band, Portugal. The Man, presented by Image Home Furnishings and Matanuska Brewing Co. will return to rock the Alaska State Fair as the latest confirmed act in the 2021 AT&T Concert Series. The Grammy®-winning rockers with Alaska roots will perform at the ConocoPhillips Borealis Theatre stage on Saturday, August 21st at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale to the general public as of Friday, June 11th, at 10 a.m.

Over the past decade, Portugal. The Man has established themselves as one of rock’s most prized possessions and a live phenomenon, with over 1,600 shows under their belts and a storied reputation as festival favorites.

Originally heralding from Alaska, the Portland-based band – comprised of John Gourley, Zach Carothers, Kyle O’Quin, Eric Howk, Jason Sechrist and Zoe Manville - soared to new heights in 2017 with the release of their RIAA certified-gold album, Woodstock. The album’s single, “Feel It Still,” earned the group accolades including a Grammy® award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, a five-time RIAA platinum-certified single certification, and a 20-week residency at #1 on alternative radio.

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Alongside the shine of their myriad musical accomplishments lies the group’s long-standing passion for social justice. In fact, this is precisely the intersection on which Portugal. The Man thrives; throughout their career, the band has consistently exemplified how to deeply commit to both artistry and activism. This dynamic inspired them to officially launch their PTM Foundation in 2020, focused on universal issues related to human rights, community health, and the environment, with an emphasis on causes directly impacting indigenous peoples.

Their continued passion for activism has also led to recent partnerships with organizations such as the National Coalition Against Censorship, The Skatepark Project (helping communities build public skate parks for youth in underserved communities), March for Our Lives (Gun Reform), Keep Oregon Well (Mental Health), and Protect Our Winters (Climate Change), to name just a few. 

Quinn Christopherson, an Ahtna Athabaskan and Iñupiaq songwriter who is born, raised and based in Anchorage will be opening for the show.

Tickets to Portugal. The Man went on sale starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 11. Concert tickets will be available for purchase on the Fair website, www.alaskastatefair.org. The band joins previously announced acts: Martina McBride on August 22nd, Michael Jr. on August 23rd, Dashboard Confessional on August 27th, Jon Pardi on August 28th, The Guess Who on August 29th, Zach Williams on August 30th, Common Kings on September 2nd, and Billy Idol on September 4th. Tickets for these concerts are currently available for purchase at www.alaskastatefair.org.

Qiviut, Anyone?

Contributed by Kerry Nelson, The Musk Ox Farm

We just wrapped up the combing season here on the Musk Ox Farm, and our herd is feeling great with their new summer hairdos! We’re feeling pretty great too, with another amazing qiviut harvest of nearly 350 pounds! Why all the fuss over qiviut? One of the world’s rarest fibers, qiviut is finer than cashmere, eight times warmer than sheep’s wool and hypoallergenic. Such a lightweight, smooth fiber feels like a cloud against your skin.

The Musk Ox Farm is a non-profit organization dedicated to gentle musk ox husbandry for the promotion of qiviut production and public education. We are currently the only facility in the entire world working to domesticate musk oxen for their fiber. Musk oxen naturally begin shedding their qiviut underwool in the spring as a response to the lengthening daylight. In the wild, it will slowly fall off of them in sheets, fluttering away in the arctic breeze or catching on the shrubs and sedges. Some who live near wild herds will go out and collect qiviut from the tundra or may comb a musk ox hide out after a successful hunt. 

Here on our farm all the way down in Palmer, things are done much differently. Our herd will also begin to shed in the spring, typically beginning in April and lasting well into May or early June. When we spot the first few tufts of qiviut beginning to peek out from the guard hairs on our animals, we give them a little test comb during their routine weekly weigh-ins. This gives us a good idea of how far along in the shedding phase each animal is, as we want to be sure their qiviut is fully releasing from the skin. We don’t want to be pulling out that beautiful underwool until it’s ready for us!

Once an animal is ready for combing, we’ll begin the process of bringing them into the barn for their salon sessions. This involves our herd manager, summer interns, combing tools, and (most importantly) treats! Gentle, stress-free handling is a key part of our mission, so we respond to each musk oxen’s individual needs. Some animals will let us comb them for an hour, happily munching away on treats. Others are more skeptical and annoyed at the whole process, and might grace us with a whole five minutes of their presence to be combed.

Rather than force our animals to be combed any longer than they want to, we respect their comfort level and allow them to return to their pasture. This just means that they’ll have shorter, more frequent hair appointments in the barn! With around 80 musk oxen to comb, spring is a busy time for farm staff. They sleep, dream, eat qiviut. (Yes, quite literally eat it at times - that fiber gets everywhere!) All of the work that we do with our herd the rest of the year comes down to this one brief moment of fantastic fiber harvesting.

So, what happens to all of that beautiful fluff? Some of it is offered as raw for our brave spinning friends out there. The rest is processed into pure or blended qiviut yarn or made into a variety of wonderfully soft, warm garments for all of you to enjoy. You can find our qiviut offerings in our gift shop or online! Stop on by to see us, or better yet, schedule a tour while you’re at it! That way, you can personally thank our musk oxen for giving us the gift of their luxurious underwool.

ONLINE: www.muskoxfarm.org/shop
IN STORE: 10AM - 5PM, 7 Days/Week
TOURS: By reservation on the hour, 10AM - 5PM. Book ahead online at www.muskoxfarm.org/farmtours or call 907-745-4151.