The June Music & More performance series at First United Methodist Church will feature two vastly different programs, one week apart. Both will be presented by groups that have thrilled Music & More audiences in the past.
Starting at 3 p.m. on June 13, Ethan Leinwand and Val Kirchhoff will return for a program of barrelhouse blues piano and vocals. Val (vocals) and Ethan (piano) are a St. Louis-based duo that specialize in the early and low-down blues of the 1920s and 30s. Their shared love for the forgotten sounds of St. Louis piano blues brought them together.
After connecting online in 2014, Ethan (previously based in New York City) relocated to St. Louis, and they have been collaborating ever since. The pair married in winter of 2023. They’ve performed across the United States and Europe, in Mississippi riverboats and storied Viennese jazz clubs. They have headlined blues and boogie-woogie festivals in Europe and are regulars of the ragtime, blues and early jazz circuits in the US. Their previous appearances in Fairbanks have drawn large and appreciative audiences.
Next, at 6:30 p.m. on June 19, Music & More will help launch Solstice Weekend with Fairbanks’ own Red Hackle Pipe Band and Dancers. Their second performance for Music & More will take place on the church’s lawn. Red Hackle Pipe Band is the farthest north pipe band in the United States. They are often seen and heard at parades, fairs and other community events; this appearance will be a fitting and memorable part of the mid-summer Fairbanks celebration. For attendees who arrive early, the church will offer free hot dogs and cold drinks for the community beginning at 6 p.m.
Looking further ahead, Kathleen Fagre and Friends will occupy the Music & More stage beginning at 7 p.m. on July 18. Kathleen is a retired pilot and well-known musician in the Fairbanks area. She moved to Colorado last year but misses Fairbanks enough to visit in the summers.
August’s featured performer is Dr. Sean Dowgray from the UAF music faculty. Dowgray is a world-class mallet percussionist who will perform a solo recital on his new, recently acquired marimba. That recital will take place on the weekend of Aug. 22-23, details pending.
The church hosts these monthly (or sometimes more often) Music & More events as a community service. For nearly four years, the series has offered programs for the whole family in an atmosphere that is convenient, safe and comfortable.
Admission is free. Donations are encouraged, with most of the contributions provided to the entertainers. Performances are held in the church’s sanctuary (or on the lawn, in the case of the Red Hackle group), located at 915 Second Ave. in downtown Fairbanks.
For more information, call the church office at 907-312-0185.
Margaret and Larry Bennett have been members of Fairbanks First United Methodist Church since 1968.
