Where songs are born from the Last Frontier……

Dave Stancliff has lived in Alaska for 30 years. His music and the artists associated with this web page are full of the Alaska spirit.

Dave and his wife Susan live in a snug log cabin a few miles from Tok, Alaska.

Live Alaska Show 50,000 Mark

The live Alaska show “Songs of the Last Frontier” has reached a milestone. Over 50,000 visitors to Alaska have enjoyed the songs, stories and yes even the dancing at the summer night shows. “This summer we had wonderful friend Vi Janowski who sat in with us, played the wash board and did mountain clogging for our visitors”, said Dave Stancliff. “Vi showed up one evening in June and said she graduated from High School with my sister in 1949. She asked if she could sit in with us and became a regular for the summer shows. The wash board she played was one she used to actually do her family’s laundry back in Vermont. Vi said she knew it would have a better use some day but never dreamed she be playing in Alaska 50 years later.”
 
The Tok Alaska show originated in 2002 and since that time has been performed over 600 times to the delight of visitors from around the world. “Tok is the only entrance by highway to Alaska. We meet people from every place and walk of life imaginable here. This summer a mother who has spent the last 2 years walking around the world met her son who flew in from Whales here in Tok. He had not seen his mother Rosie in over a year and half. We did a special show to welcome her and celebrate the re-union. Two days later Rosie was on her way south with some songs from Tok running through her head.  Tok may be small but through the eastern gate come many interesting people”, said Stancliff.
 
Another highlight for the season was the addition of Wes Colquette. The young singer and guitarist amazed visitors with his incredible vocal talent and jubilant personality. “When I asked Wes to sit in with us I knew he had great talent, but I could never have predicted the reaction he caused with audiences. He simply left them amazed and inspired. It is so nice to see a 15 year old connect with people in their 60’s and 70’s at a deep personal level. Everyone wanted to adopt him and take him home.”
 
We ended the season with an incredible event at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, Alaska. There at the Make It Alaska Festival we once again assembled Alaska music artists from all over the state and provide three days of non-stop music at the event. Kenny Snow and the Bluegrass Outlaws and Ginger Boatwright and the Sip Sey River Band headlined and brought the house down. Laurie and Becky Miller from Juneau brought their superb vocal talents to the stage and venerated Alaska artists, Robin Hopper, Mike Campbell, Adele Morgan, Susie Crosby, and Ellen Lockyer provided the best in Alaska music. Thanks to our friends and neighbors Wendy and Sharon in Tok who volunteered to help us. Also thanks to Rebecca Tucker who joined Wes in a tribute to Johnny and June Carter-Cash. Finally, we’re sorry to have Floyd and Jeanne Seigler retire from scheduled appearances. They have been a true blessing to the show with their talent and warm spirits. We’re hoping we can talk them into coming out from time to time for guest appearances.
 
A big thanks goes out to Rose and Jerry at Tok RV, and to the Tok Chamber of Commerce and staff for providing the venues and promotion of the show.
 
See you all next year in Tok, Main Street Alaska, and crossroads to world travelers.
 
The Alaska Show is performed nightly from June 1st through August 10th at Tok RV Village and The Tok Visitors Center

In Tok, they have raised a family, cleared their land, created a garden, and make music with their friends and neighbors.

Dave’s original Alaska music is brought to life every summer at live performances each night in Tok. Delighting audiences with stories, poetry, and music the reviews and volume of his CD sales attest to his success. He has written a polka for Petersburg, a song for moose, and even sings about the world’s most heralded footwear, bunny boots.

“I have loved Alaska since the day I rolled into Tok in 1973. I keep that love of the wilderness burning by sharing it with visitors. This is the grandest land on earth and whatever I can do with music to get people in touch with it simply delights me.”

Dave has three Alaska CD’s to his credit, a first place finish in the traditional category in the State Song of the Year Contest, and has performed in the Alaska Folk Festival for 20 years.

Each year Dave calls upon other music artists from around the state to perform in Alaska’s largest arena. It is a three-day event in October called the "Make It Alaska Festival." Only Alaskan artists with Alaska music perform at the festival.

Click here to see links to their web sites.

“These are my friends and my music brothers and sisters. They are charting the course of Alaska music history and I am proud to be associated with them.”

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