Octoberfest!

Yes... This is happening tomorrow. I am the polka alternative for the evening... yes there is a polka band and there will be beer. Cold beer... filled with Vitamin P!

The house that Ukulele built

There is something satisfying in building your own home. As many of my ukulele professional colleagues continue to tour the globe in an endless circuit of ukulele festivals I am taking some time off from the grind to erect my new abode. For six years my beautiful wife and I have made sacrifices, cut corners, and lived without running water for the ability to rat stash enough cash to buy some land and build our own home. Let's face it folks, I play ukulele for a living and a bank would never loan me the money. Two reasons, one is that I'm not a professional guitar player. The second is I play ukulele for a living. For some strange reason they look at me as a bad investment. ;)

Finally, over two years since we bought the raw land, a building is starting to form. It didn't really set in until my friend and I lifted the third wall on the first floor into place.

The major issue is, winter is coming, and it looks like it is coming fast. There is all ready been snow storms a few hundred miles north of us in the Brooks range and the days are getting noticeably shorter. Night even has returned for significant amounts of time.  Winter is close. Moose season is 10 days away... mmmm... yummy moose. A yearly Alaskan ritual. Back to Black Eye Knob, the secret happy hunting grounds.

July - gigs, construction, and the way of the wrench.

Things have been hectic lately and I have been a bad blogger. Tons of gigs, the construction of a house, car problems (I still have some to deal with), hunting trips, the whole nine yards. So if you need me I will be posting mostly to my Facebook account (www.facebook.com/ukuleleruss) for the most part until  I get some time away from being constantly on the road or busy with other life events.

For example I have two performances today, I am teaching two ukulele classes, and then I have to hop in the car and make my way to Seward 520 miles south of me. It is going to be a long one...

Last day of the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival today for this guy. It has been real. It has been fun. It has been real fun, but it is time to hit the road again.

IF you are looking for some culture come see the American Roots concert tonight at the Silver Gulch Brewery! I'm the last act, the closer, in the anchor position. Should be fun.

May / June Calender!

So... I have been busy gigging and with building a house my blogs may be short this summer. Just come out to a show and see me! I am all over the last frontier!

The Howling Dog Saloon!

After a long long long winter it is that time again. A time when the most legendary biker bar opens for the summer season. God has decided that the time for winter is over and has turned on the summer switch. Even though there is still some snow and some mud in places the season we refer to as "Break Up" is nearly over. The sun is out until after 11pm and life is good in the interior of Alaska. This is how you know it is time for the Howling Dog Saloon to open.

The Howling Dog is and has been my summer Fairbanks area spot since 2008. This rough and tumble, crazy shit on the walls, thousands of names carved into the tables and bar, and the only stage in the world covered in 100% POPE RED CARPET is the most awesome place to enjoy a game of horseshoes, volley ball, or just a night of rock and roll at the world's most norther biker bar in existence. 

The Fairbanks All Stars and I have the pleasure of opening it yet again for the summer season. I have been playing closing and opening weekend for 5 years now. Seems to be a regular occurrence that I absolutely love.  So if you find yourself on your Harley or have a hankering for some rock come on out. I will be playing with the band from 10pm-3am both Friday and Saturday. Yes, that is right a 5 hour gig. All of my foreign friend believe it. 5 hour gigs are what build your chops and put hair on your chest...unless you are lady... then it just makes you bad ass.


HOWLING DOG SALOON -- Friday and Saturday Nights @ 10pm!
 

Rock

Now that I'm back in Alaska for the summer (well it is still winter now, but I'm here for a bit) I have to turn my attention to not only keeping up with all my gigs, but building a house for my lady. My wife has put up with a lot since we moved to Alaska in 2009 and after 5+ years with no running water we are finally ready to build our own place with a shower, sink, and dishwasher. What? No toilet? You are damn right. After 5 years of putting the brown back down where it belongs (the earth is brown and so is....) my wife and I have decided not to go to the bathroom and eat in the same building. This is usually the moral high ground for poor people with no running water here in Alaska, but we will be continuing the tradition of not installing a septic system and just having a shack outside with a hole underneath it. The joys of living in the third world inside of the first. My brother calls it self imposed poverty. I call it... thrifty. ;)

HOLY SCHIST! 

So in between my gigs I have been hauling truck loads of rock from a dirt pit to my property. I have to build some stone channels for drainage and cover all my exposed terraces with rock to avoid an erosion nightmare. Before the snow set in I was about 35-40 loads deep into the project. I have another 8 loads now waiting at the bottom of my driveway for the snow to melt and my driveway to dry out. Hopefully I can get all the stone in before I start on the house. Oh to not live in a 400 square ft cabin. I think a 2200 square ft. house will be nicer. The house that ukulele built. I can't believe that my ukulele is paying for this whole thing. Thanks little buddy. You have been good to me thus far. 

On a side note I have just taken a job with the Golden Wheel Amusements this summer. I will be the ukulele carny for three of their fairs this summer. Bucket list item #46 - Become a carny. Can't wait to check that one off the old bucket list. I got to cup a wombat's ass for my birthday and now this! AWESOME!

Gigs this week:

Solo @ Ivory Jacks on Goldstream in Fairbanks - 9pm Friday
Fairbanks All Stars @ The Marlin in Fairbanks - 10pm Saturday 

Melbourne Ukulele Festival

Photo by Nick Pitsas

For the past two springs (their fall) I have had the pleasure rocking at the Melbourne Ukulele Festival. This year was extremely special to me because after earning the respect of the MUK (Melbourne Ukulele Kollective) last March they asked me to come headline the 2015 festival. On top of that I got to open for Ms. Victoria Vox. What a pleasure.

I wanted to show with these three pictures the several different hair styles I showcased during my 40 minute performance at the Melbourne Ukulele Festival. You have to constantly switch it up to let people you know that you mean business and that is exactly what I did. Business.

Photo by Nick Pitsas

Photo by Nick Pitsas

Notice the camo hat that Azo Bell wouldn't trade his cap for. I still think that Azo would look good in camo. Azo, the offer is still on the table for the hat trade. I'm serious. Camo is the new thing. Just scroll down and look at the group photo. You have the hat in your hand, literally. It must be a sign. :)

I had to let my hair down for my rendition of Lionel Richie's Hello. It is a must when trying to channel one of the sexiest men from the 1980s. Eventually the sweat became too much and the mane had to be contained.

Ukulele festivals really aren't a huge part of what I do, however when I get the chance to show some of the stuff I have come up with locked away in isolation to my ukulele brethren there is nothing better.  Melbourne I really love you. Two years in a row you have rocked my socks and I thank you. I dream of the three-peat! The Australians are a pleasant and hospitable people. Haven't really met a bad one yet. Well... except the drunk on Hoddle St. last year that tried to sell me a warped guitar. I should have never humored the guy. When you see crazy in their eyes you should avoid eye contact and keep walking and a brisk manner. Like you have somewhere important to go and you are late. Long story short, I got away.

Bosko (lower right) is the only one that found my nip spot on.
He has some sort of magical powers I have yet to be able to
explain. Check him out at Bosko and Honey

Farewell land of funny animals and spiders that will kill you. So long place of deadly snakes and flying foxes. May your wombats and kangaroos avoid contact with motor vehicles. I will see you again next year. You can count on it.

Now back to the normal Alaska grind. Two shows with the All-Stars this week. This Friday at the Marlin in Fairbanks and Saturday at the Arctic Fox both starting at 10pm.

ALSO listen in at 11am Alaska Standard Time to KFAR 660am this Friday! Time for some serious pants! You can stream it live or listen to archives online!