Join us as for a special performance of Buddy’s original songs and reminiscences with special guests Albert McDonnell, Sean Tracy, Betsy Sims, Martha Stey, Mike Truax, Collette Costa, and many more.
Buy tickets for Wednesday, April 1
Buy tickets for Thursday, April 2
Patrick Henry, asserting his case against British tyranny on this date in 1775 before a Virginia colonial convention, concluded by declaring: “As for me, give me liberty or give me death.” Gavin and Wyatt watch as Henry proclaims his immortal words which inspired the American revolution as John gathers his music playlist which provoked the radio show. There is no need to revolt against the empire, rather we invite you to mark Patrick Henry’s speech by listening to Crosscurrents, 3/23 at 8 a.m.
Maeva Ordaz is the Alaska state Poetry Out Loud champion for the second year in a row. Now in its 10th year, the competition begins in classrooms, goes school-wide, statewide and eventually culminates in Washington, D.C., for the national championship. Ordaz says the competition is fulfilling its mission to expose youth to great literature.
Poetry Out Loud on 360 North
You can watch Ordaz and her colleagues in the Poetry Out Loud state finals on 360 North television at 8 p.m. tonight and again at 9 p.m. Saturday.
You can also watch at 360north.org.
“Poetry Out Loud has had a big impact on schools in terms of getting people, teenagers especially, more involved in learning poems, reading them, analyzing them, and I think the program has been very successful in doing that,” she says.
On Tuesday, Ordaz competed against nine other Alaskan high school students who had memorized poetry from an anthology of more than 800 poems. Ordaz says the competition is also fulfilling its other goal of engendering confidence.
“Standing up in front of an audience of 100, 200 people and reciting—that was something that I hadn’t done before, so that was an excellent experience for me and it’s given me that confidence to go out whether I’m doing a poetry recitation or a speech or I’m debating,” says Ordaz.
Ordaz will join state champions from around the country for nationals in Washington, D.C., in late April.
Juneau writer Libby Bakalar’s blog “One Hot Mess” is getting national attention. Boston’s Women in Comedy Festival, where notable comic Lily Tomlin will headline, has asked Bakalar to submit to their blog.
Bakalar is the mother of a 4- and 7-year-old who are often the subjects of her entries which range from rap, to essays, to comics, to flow and pie charts, haikus and more.
Bakalar recited her rap “Who Da Boss?” for us here.
“The funnest part for me about the blog is having a shared experience with the audience about experiences they can all relate to, like getting your kid geared up for the rain and snow,” says Bakalar.
Or not knowing certain etiquette as in “If I Actually Said What I Was Thinking at a Wine Tasting…” she also read for us.
Bakalar says she tries to be revelatory and analytical.
“I try to get to the root of pretentions and phoniness and all kinds of insecurities and things like that that people appreciate honesty about. This whole wine-tasting routine has all of those elements. It’s this first world, kind of pretentious thing that deserves to be made fun of a little bit. And I am going to make fun of myself and it at the same time,” says Bakalar.
But she’s not always rapping, humorous or irreverent. About once a month she writes an earnest piece, too, like in a November post about how cathartic crying can be.
“One of the things I hear a lot about the blog is, ‘You’re always saying what I’m thinking,’ or, ‘You’re always saying what I’m afraid to say,’ and that is the highest compliment I can get because it means I’m writing something that’s resonating with people on a real level,” she says.
Sometimes Bakalar posts as many five entries a day—most composed on her smartphone. She says she’s inspired by her husband and comic writer Geoff Kirsch, David Sedaris, Louis C.K., Margaret Cho and Stephen Colbert.
“There’s a little bit of a fourth wall, sort of Stephen Colbert-esque character developing. I’m not trying to compare myself to someone as awesome as Stephen Colbert mind you, I’m just saying he’s another person I really admire in terms of his ability to straddle that meta-line between reality and fiction. You know it’s sort of in that middle gray area between a character and a biographical representation of me.”
That version of herself recently wrote a flirtatious open letter to a guy who works at Kindred Post. As usual, Bakalar linked to her entry on Facebook and, in a Juneau-way, it’s gone viral. She likes the interactivity.
“It was all very true. Everything I said in there about how I thought this guy was cute and I feel like an old lady every time I go in the store and blah, blah, blah, he’s listening to this great music, et cetera, et cetera. But I wanted him to know all that, and I was good with that. And at the same time I was curious, is all of this going to get back to him and his friends? And sure enough it did and it was very funny and he was hilarious about it and his responses were awesome.”
One Hot Mess posted “Open Letter to Cute Dude at The Post Office Store” on Monday afternoon. Someone responded with his name within an hour and he got the link soon thereafter. It took a little investigating, but he figured out who she was.
Conor Lendrum says,“I was like, ‘Oh! It’s that fox who I made eyes at, like, that day!”
Lendrum, who has adopted the alias C-DAT-POS, says it’s all surreal—an interesting intersection of the virtual and the real. He’s looking forward to talking to her in person.
“How much of this internet personality is her true personality? How much of it is a construction for this art that she works on? She’s a very good writer. She has a wonderful self-deprecating style and very casual but precise and I really enjoy it,” says Lendrum.
C-DAT-POS will get to ask Bakalar about her and the character. After a bunch of Facebook correspondence, he’s committed to making dinner for Bakalar and her family soon.
The producers behind the Women in Comedy Festival like Bakalar’s work, too. They’re posting a “One Hot Mess” entry on their blog. Other than that, she has no agenda.
“I never want to advertise on it. I never want to commodify it in any way. I just want to have fun with it and continue to entertain my friends and family with it.”
The Juneau Pride Chorus will perform its 17th annual concert at Northern Light United church Saturday.
The idea for the chorus originated at a meeting for PFLAG, which stands for Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. Marsha Buck is known as the “Founding Mother.”
“Somebody said we should start a pride chorus! And then they looked at me because I’m the one with a degree in music,” she says.
Seventeen years later the chorus, which is now the public face of PFLAG, is 32 members strong. Fellow founding member Leslie Wood became the conductor in 2000.
“It’s my passion, it’s what I love to do,” says Wood. “My actions in my body try to portray what sound I want to hear.”
Christine Wallace is another founding member. She says, “If you’ve had a crappy day at work, it’s gone by the time practice is over.”
Wallace also likes the activity’s accessibility.
“Singing is one of those basic human things like walking, running; it’s free, you carry it with you all the time. If you’re berry picking it works, if you’re hiking it works, if you’re out on a boat it works. If you know a lot of songs you have this internal iPod that you can access for whatever emotion or situation you’re in,” says Wallace.
Despite its accessibility, it’s not without challenges.
“We’re vulnerable,” says Buck. “We’re opening our mouths and it isn’t always lovely. We all make mistakes. One time I made a rhythm mistake tonight, the woman behind me said, ‘That’s fine Marsha, that’s what rehearsals are for.’ That vulnerability makes us more open to each other and open to support and friendships.”
And that’s integral to many of the women.
“Some of us aren’t whole people if we’re not part of a music group,” continues Buck.
Members practice at home by singing along with recordings, and they practice weekly as a group. When everything comes together, Wallace says it’s “kind of a mind meld. If you got the timing right, and the pitches right, and you’re listening to each other, it’s a thing that isn’t any one of you.”
This year’s theme is “strong women” and includes an eclectic selection of songs.
“It’s our talent show. We’ve been working since August. We want our friends to come and listen to us and eat cookies,” says Wallace.
The concert begins at 7 p.m. Saturday at Northern Light United Church.
Some great tunes are being added to TONIGHT’S Stormy Weather playlist, between George Harrison’s Bday today, yesterday’s 40th Anniversary of Physical Graffiti and AK Legalize it Day. Katie B. will see you on the radio 9-11 p.m., KRNN-FM 102.7 FM in Juneau, or anywhere at krnn.org.
