Star Anna was born and raised in the small town of Ellensburg, WA. At the age of eleven she got her first snare drum, started taking drum lessons and began buying some of her first CDs at the local record shop.
She formed a punk metal band (No Continuous Standing) with a few friends during her freshman year. They stayed together for a little over a year and took third place in a few battle of the band contests.
During the summer of 2001, at the age of 16, Star picked up a guitar, taught herself some chords and began writing songs and playing local coffee shops and cafes. Star hit a rough patch that took almost two years to come out of, and when she did she went straight back to the guitar with a little more life experience and a stronger sense of who she was.
After she came back to the music again, she started to develop a more alt country/folk sound. Her style has continued to change, never quite definable but still glimmering with her rural upbringing. Though her first record has a more Americana vibe, her second one promises to be more rock 'n' roll with a bit of twang hidden throughout.
For more about Star and her band The Laughing Dogs go to www.starannamusic.com
Lucky Lawrence started The Souvenirs in 1997. He was quickly signed to Will Records (now Lake Shore) in 1998. The debut album King of Heartache was released in September of 1999. It received great reviews and went all the way to #4 on the Americana music charts during fall of 1999 and Spring of 2000.The album landed tracks in a few feature films The Gift, Bats, Shredder and Tunnel of Love to name a few. Lucky and the Souvs toured the U.S. for the next couple of years, eventually touring Europe & Japan. Since then Lucky has continued to write songs and gig regionally. In 2006 Lucky did pre-production for the up coming album at Little Dog Studios with some help from the infamous Pete Anderson. Now after producer and band mate Rob Mitchell joined the Souvenirs team, the band predicts 2 cd releases in 2009.
For more info see www.myspace.com/souvenirstheband
Mariachi Estrella de Mexico started as a class at Wenatchee Valley Community College of former and active Mariachi Huenachi (Wenatchee High School Mariachi program) members. At the end of spring quarter 2005 we no longer had the class, so in the fall we decided to put together a professional mariachi group. On the day of our final exam we went to StarBucks and were discussing the group and we were still nameless. Mr. Cortez said why not something to do with a star since we where sitting there at StarBucks. So then somebody else said well we live in the north so why not Mariachi Estrella del Norte, and that's how we got our name and how our group got started. We have been going since 2005.
For more info see www.mariachimex.com
Open Country Joy is Ellensburg's homegrown hometown band. Formed over ten years ago around the virtuosic guitar work of Brandon Brooks, this band has been through many musicians and phases, but the central concept of semi-structured jams that speak to both the feet and the intellect continues stronger than ever.
For mor info see www/myspace.com/opencountryjoy
Kenzie (full name McKenzie Cochran) just finished her freshman year at Royal High School in Royal City, WA. Although she is young her song-writing is way beyond her years. Take a listen to her songs on her website and you will agree, this is a very talented young lady. Playing for this festival is a first step for Kenzie in what will hopefully become a long and prosperous career.
For mor info see www.myspace.com/kenziecochran13
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Lyons Park, Royal City, WA
2009 Performers