The Whitehorse Blues All-Stars are Brandon Isaak, Dave Haddock and Lonnie Powell. You know 'em. They've been playing the blues together for about five years, backing up well known visiting blues artists like Kenny Wayne and Big Dave McLean at local watering holes. They are poised for international renown with the impending release of their first CD. From jump to swing to funk to rockin, they're bound to get your socks a-hoppin.

Parker Thomas Jazz has brought together a blend of jazz whose influences are as diverse as the geographical and cultural backgrounds of its personnel. Its diversity is reflected in the band's eclectic choice of material, which lends itself to the personalities, instrumentation and love of jazz. Hearing Renald Jauvin on guitar, Gord Miller on accoustic bass, Shane Cichon on drums and Tom Connor on vibraphones will be a positive addition to this year's Alsek Music Festival.

The Whiskey Dicks is a strange brew of Rye mixed with beer and cheap wine, three parts Yukon (Patrick Ernst, Ryan Enns and Curtis Ernst) and two parts BC (Mike Bell and sometimes Zoe Robertson).  This energetic group of musicians has been filling dance floors across the lower mainland and Vancouver Island for the past six years with their highly eclectic brew of enthusiasm and skill.  Fiddle, guitar, cello and drums lay down grooves from Romania to Australia while tight vocal harmonies tell stories of good times past.

Western Canadian Music Award Winner Lana Rae is a children's performer and songwriter who writes about what she knows---the quirks and challenges of raising children and being a parent. Lana Rae and her band (Don Bishop, Rob Hunter and Lonnie Powell) will delight audiences of all ages, so bring the whole family and be ready to sing and dance!

Kluane songwriter Brenda Berezan will be more or less unplugged for this set.  Joining Brenda on percussion will be Marc Paradis. Brenda is also performing for us on the Kidzone stage this year, and will be performing with some of the local kids she works with as a music teacher.

The New Bohemian Waxwing is ready to swoop onto the banks of the Alsek River to deliver the hottest Djembe/Clarinet/Guitar music north of Tierra Del Fuego. Cory Chouinard, Birch Kuch and Ivan Zenovitch are the band -- and for those who need to know they will not play in any flat keys because Ivan doesn't know how to play between (let alone connect) the dots.

Kim Barlow returns to our stage with new songs and old favourites on banjo and guitar, accompanied by the tasteful and talented Andrea McColeman.

The Done Gone Stringband is based out of Whitehorse, Yukon. Playing vintage-sounding originals as well as a selection of the finest of traditional oldtime, the Done Gone Stringband represents two generations of the Hamilton family: Bob on mandolin, dobro and vocals, Sarah on fiddle and vocals, and Patrick on banjo. The band also features Anne Louise Genest on guitar and vocals and Nadine Landry on bass and vocals. Compelling three and four part harmonies, haunting melodies, and foot stompin' instrumentals drive this band like a moonshine powered rocket.

Dave Haddock - Dave songs have been a part of the aural landscape of the Yukon and on the airwaves since the late seventies when he first arrived in the North. He's got new songs that he's eager to share, so have a seat, he'll be playin' solo.

CHS (The Crippled Hunters Settlement) is a rock 'n roll experience steeped in the blues. Adam Cripps, bass, loves Stu Hamm, Les Claypool and Jack Daniels. Mike Barr, vocals, is into Robert Plant and Ozzy. Roxx Hunter, guitar, loves all things Satriani. Michael Settle, drums, loves Clutch, punk music and throwing his drum sticks. The band would like to remind everyone, especially cute Yukon girls, they do have t-shirts for sale. Rock on...

A perennial Yukon favourite, Steve Slade will be performing twice on the Riverside Stage. His first performance is in the Kidzone on Saturday, where he'll present "songs from schools" co-written by himself and students that he's worked with around the Yukon for the past couple of years. On Sunday, he'll present some of his great original tunes along with a few classic covers.

The Nicole Edwards Jazz Ensemble will be performing their vibrant versions of familiar standards including songs from the newly released CD Sparkin'. The stellar line-up of musicians includes Annie Avery on piano, Jon Heaton on bass, Ed White on drums and Duncan Sinclair on saxophones.

The Revelators is a rockin' band designed to show the songwriting and singing capabilities of Ed White and Dave Haddock, along with musicians Bob Hamilton and Annie Avery. This band will play a selection of tunes that will have so much energy coming off the stage that the dance floor will be shakin' and the tent vibratin'.

Haines Junction is particularly proud of the SECS Teens. This talented group of local teenagers will rock the Kidzone with classic rock and pop tunes from Wilson Picket to Katie Tunstall. SECS Teens are Nigel Boyle, Geoff Godson, Megan Moore, Shaylea Sembsmoen, Talyce Henkel, Ashley Maynes, Dylan Graves, Brad Joe, Andy Pauls and Kyle Karman.

Nicole Edwards, Annie Avery, Bob Hamilton, Ed White and Dave Haddock are Joy Seekers. Together, they play highly danceable R&B classics, blues and Nicole’s originals. Their music is simply funky, groovin’and fun.

The Sophisticated Cave Men (Birch Kuch-clarinet, Rick Sward-guitar/vocals, and Ched Dunham-bass) have been playing around the Yukon for four years, wowing audiences with a vast variety of good music. With the new addition of Lara Lewis on keyboards and Brian MacDonald on drums, they are ready to rock your Friday Night at Alsek.

Soir de Semaine is a band based in Whitehorse, Yukon since 2003. All songs are original lyrics and music. The music is a mixture of folk, funk, rock, reggae and roots. A strong rhythmic force unifies the songs and gives Soir de Semaine the distinctive sound that has audiences dancing ecstatically in the Yukon and beyond.

Gordie Tentrees Band - This Rock-Hard-Country-Blues-Band returns to Alsek after pounding out the road between Whitehorse and Texas, featuring Ed White (Oboe), Matt King (Pennywhistle, Cactus Washboard), Ken Hermanson (Xylophone, Mariachi Triangle) and Gordie Tentrees (Tenor Djembe, Organic Knee Organ). Watch your toes!

Doug Thorseth is a solo guitar wizard and a newcomer to the Alsek stage. Combining original compositions with tunes from some of his influences like Leo Kottke and Preston Reed, Doug will offer us "12 string seasonings for the musical palate."

Nicholas Mah is a classical guitarist who comes from a "guitar family." His dad is a guitar maker and all six kids in the family play the guitar -- three of them for a living! While studying music in Spain, Nick jammed in the street with Gypsies, and he is (almost certainly) the only performer at Alsek to have played for royalty!

"Famous for Family Fun; Masters of Mayhem and Illogical Iliterateration, Michael Brooks and the Bingo Bongo Boogie Band have been entertaining Yukon audiences for years with timeless tunes such as "Greta the Grouch" and "Buffalo Bob's Big Beef Burgers on a Bun".  This year's set features some new songs hot off the presses as well as lots of audience participation and fun for all ages.

Pure Bush League is a group of local yokels recently emerged from the bush near Haines Junction. With Bob Hayes on guitar and most of the vocals, Dieter Gade on electric and slide guitars, and Richard Godson on bass, PBL will invade Sunday's riverside show with a blend of folk and blues.

The Ruby Rangers are a group of Kluane musicians who've somehow become labeled "mostly bluegrass," but give them a listen and you'll hear everything from Leadbelly to Johnny Cash, with eclectic original tunes thrown in for good measure. The Ruby Rangers are Elsabe Kloppers on fiddle; Bob Hayes on mandolin, guitar and vocals; Boyd Campbell on guitar and vocals; Richard Godson on guitar, mandolin and vocals; and Peter Upton on stand-up bass.

A self-described blues-rock jam band, Plaid not only won the Battle of the Bands this year, but also opened for Sam Roberts! Featuring Bram Komaromi on rhythm guitar, David Dugas on lead guitar, Travis O'Neill on bass, Quinn Dennehy on drums, and most of them on vocals, Plaid will offer their blend of youthful exuberance and precocious musicianship to a rockin' Saturday afternoon set on the mainstage.

BJ MacLean is an old friend of the Alsek Festival, having come here as a guest artist even when still living in the far-away land of Dease Lake sometime in the early 90's. As we all know, BJ is a great singer-songwriter-guitar player, and no doubt she'll have a few friends join her for her Sunday set on the riverside.

You might recognize Tim Naylor's voice as he's had several songs played regularly on Yukon radio -- first as the lead singer of Mr. Vein, then as a solo artist with the popular song "Yukon Summer Night." This great singer-songwriter now calls Destruction Bay home, but he's agreed to leave his rural environs to come to the big city of Haines Junction for a mainstage set on an Alsek Saturday afternoon.

The Big Band is the only group to have performed at every Alsek Music Festival. Why's that? Because we love 'em, that's why!