Entertainment coordinator Scott Ramsey has secured headliners for the 48th Annual Southeast Alaska State Fair, with celebrated singer-songwriter Martin Sexton lending his Americana vibes to the lineup.
Sexton, a singer and guitarist known for his wide vocal range and improvisational skills, will take the stage Friday evening, July 29.
“I am a huge Martin Sexton fan and, to be able to see him, I think it is an incredible blessing,” Ramsey said.
Sexton will also hold an acoustic workshop, an intimate performance where musicians share how they draw inspiration, the technical aspects of playing music and other details.
“Oftentimes with musical workshops it is more of an experience where you can ask questions,” Ramsey said. “He’s not going to teach you how to play guitar. He is going to give you some insight into his playing.”
Friday night’s offerings also include the Seattle-based Wet City Rockers – a roots reggae dub concoction – and the Anchorage-based Denali Cooks, feel-good Alaskan rock.
John Brown’s Body, a funky 10-piece reggae outfit complete with plenty of horns, will get people on the dance floor Saturday night, Ramsey said. As will the Bad Tenants, a fan favorite from Bellingham, Wash., that fuses hip-hop, soul and blues.
“I think adding the hip-hop band, we tried to address the younger, late night crowd,” Ramsey said.
Haines residents will be glad to hear Christy Hays, a perennial favorite, is returning to the fair this year with a band from Austin in tow. Satsang, a conscious music collective with sound steeped in reggae, folk and hip hop and lyrics rooted in social, personal and spiritual growth, will also perform Saturday.
Like last year, the fair will culminate Sunday with an all-star jam, a joint performance by musicians from many of the bands.
The fair’s “kinetic” act is still unconfirmed, but Ramsey said he believes it will be a Cirque du Soleil acrobat/juggler.
While in years past lesser-known acts have built up to the headliner performing at the end of the night, this year several of the headliners will be going on during “prime time,” Ramsey said. Sometimes, if a band or musician doesn’t take the stage until 10 p.m., fairgoers who are less inclined to stay up late miss out.
“That way the party crowd can party, and more people are going to be able to see the headliners,” Ramsey said.
Ramsey is currently working on putting together a CD of last year’s fair performances, which he hopes will be available by the fair’s Spring Fling event on Friday, April 24.