Homer's Jewel

It all started a couple of weeks ago when my friend, Janet, facebooked me (I LOVE FACEBOOK!) to let me know that Jewel was coming to town to do a benefit concert for our local Artists in the Schools program. She warned me that tickets were going fast so I bought mine that day (one for me and one for Sarah). They were a steal at $30/each since Jewel was also doing concerts in Anchorage that same week for over $50/ticket. Actually, I think the story is that Anchorage ran a blurb in the paper two days before tickets were actually supposed to go on sale (Janet had the inside scoop as a volunteer for the Arts program) so Bunnell Art Gallery (the folks selling the tickets) got so many phone calls that they started selling advance tickets, taking names and money, and then we could pick up the tickets a couple of days later when they actually arrived in town. So, the morning that the tickets officially went on sale, the concert was sold out! I don't really care how it went down; I just know that I got my tickets - woohoo!

So, Sarah and I went for an early dinner last night and showed up at the High School Theatre to get in line at 6pm (doors to the theatre didn't open until 7pm). There were only about 20 people in line in front of us so we were assured to have terrific seats... and WE DID, as you can see from the pictures! Five Hundred excited folks were there when the show started.

Atz Lee Kilcher and Tim Easton opened the show with heavy bluesy tunes mixed with a little bluegrass. Atz is Jewel's brother and a local Homer musician. He plays in the local bands Yellow Cabin and The Three Legged Mule (my local favorite). We have such incredible talent in our little town - every Wednesday-Saturday nights, at least, you can find live music at a number of venues (aka bars with a "stage"... and I use that term very loosely) and it's all FREE! Atz is an amazing musician (singer/songwriter) and plays the string bass like the leader in the band! He is SO much fun to watch.

Tim Easton, I had never heard of before, but he was awesome. He plays guitar and harmonica at the same time, and has an awesome voice. After the Jewel Concert, he actually went to the Down East Saloon (my favorite hangout) with Atz and played some with Yellow Cabin. How fun!

So... Jewel! Lil ole artsy fartsy Homer produces one amazing talent after another. But, for now, our crowning Jewel is a Kilcher. Taught to sing by her daddy while being raised on a homestead (for those of you who don't know what that is... that means way out in the country with no running water and probably no electricity... not uncommon for Homer, or Alaska for that matter), this Platinum Artist was simply amazing to hear in person. She is SO much better live than on any CD! It was just her and her guitar - no band, no backup, no guitar half the time LOL!

She opened by singing
"Over the Rainbow" acapella - un-flipping-believable! Listening to her belt that out like none other, I knew there had to be a story behind that song for her. Sure enough, she told us that was the first song she ever sang on that same high school stage when she was 15 (20 years ago)! It gave me goosebumps.

She was so easy and comfortable and hilariously funny. She told stories in between her songs about growing up in the country, singing in biker bars in Anchorage, going to a school for the Performing Arts (Interlochen) when she was 16, being homeless in Los Angeles at 18, and finally being discovered in a coffee shop in L.A. and then being the opening act for Bob Dylan on the road.

Her inspiring lyrics (she even sang some brand new songs that she just wrote) and nack for a melody just made me sit there and smile. Then, she called her daddy up on stage... I thought I would cry. They sang a song together and then she let him have the stage solo, so he called up his new wife (just married last winter) and they harmonized through another song. Jewel ended the night (2 1/2 hours after she started) yodelling for us, in true Alaska mountain style!














"Everything's temporary if you give it enough time."
- Jewel Kilcher