Rockin’ out at Canyon Jams with The Stillhouse Junkies
On still summer nights in Cache Valley, music and the sound of fun can be heard drifting out of Logan Canyon from Second Dam.
For their sixth year, the Stokes Nature Center is hosting their Canyon Jams Concert Series. The concert series runs from June to October and features a talented lineup of local artists and musicians from surrounding states.
Emily Blake works as the interim executive director at the Stokes Nature Center and oversees the summer concert series. The nature center works with local companies like Import Auto and Lucky Slice that help sponsor the shows and donate proceeds back to Stokes. She explained that the concerts help fund many of the programs that go on at the nature center.
“It really is a fundraiser for the nature center. All of our proceeds go back to our education programs and our mission is getting people outside and providing nature education. It is a cool way to get people outside and raise funds for nature education at the same time,” Blake said.
The next show in the series will be held on July 13 and feature the Stillhouse Junkies from Durango, Colorado.
The Junkies consists of Cody Tinnin on vocals and bass, Alissa Wolf on vocals and fiddle and Fred Kosak on vocals and mandolin. The trio says their music is influenced by roots, bluegrass and the Americana style, but they are creating their own sound.
Photo courtesy of The Junkies
“I try not to think in terms of genre, I will come up with something and then we will work it out and it becomes a song. We don’t really think of ourselves as a genre band. We all dabble in different things,” Kosak said.
The band’s original sounds come from each of their abilities to both sing and play a variety of instruments. The Stillhouse Junkies were finalists in the 2018 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Contest and since then have hit the road, playing at a variety of gigs across the country.
“Fred writes awesome music. We really believe in it. We pride ourselves in the sound we are able to produce between the three of us,” Tinnin said.
This will be the Stillhouse Junkies’ second time playing at the Canyon Jams Concert Series. The band thoroughly enjoyed the experience they had last time and are looking forward to playing for audiences in the canyon again this summer.
“It was a total blast. I personally was digging the vibe of where they set the stage in the canyon,” Wolf said. “Everyone came up to the stage and were dancing through the remainder of the set. To have the audience engagement is something special you don’t forget.”
The concert series is an all-ages event. The evening show lasts about three hours and food and beverage are welcome at the show. Stokes Nature Center hopes those interested will take time to come support and see a show this summer. Blake says it is something that will add some “magic” to summer in Cache Valley.
“Summers in Logan are so magical and this is one of those magical events you can experience. It is a great way to be a part of the community,” Blake said.
Prices and more information on Canyon Jams can be found here.To hear more of the upcoming bands at the concert series check out the nature center’s Canyon Jams playlist on Spotify, and to see the Stillhouse Junkies in action visit their website.
—shelby.black@aggiemail.usu.edu
@shelbsterblack