Country and rock benefit helps wounded veterans

WASILLA - A trio of established local acts are teaming up Saturday to raise funds for a wounded veterans program.

Alaska's Healing Hearts is the program and the bands are The Connection, The Ken Peltier Band and Against the Grain AK.

Ken Peltier, who in addition to fronting his eponymous band, is also a spokesman for Alaska's Healing Hearts and said it's all for a good cause.

"They provide outdoor recreation, hunting, fishing, lodging for wounded soldiers and their families," Peltier said. "They look after the battle-wounded, battle-weary and kind of get them back out and about and get them started on the healing process, because outdoors activity is a mental and physical healer."

IF YOU GO:

What: Valley Legends Concert Series

Where: Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center, Wasilla

When: 8 p.m., Saturday

Cost: $18

Peltier said his work with Healing Hearts dovetails with his work for the Iron Dog snowmachine race, for which he is also a spokesman. The two organizations are teaming up this year on a number of fronts.

"This event is happening before any of the Iron Dog stuff," he said. "What really started it was three bands said, ‘hey we'd like to play together one night.'"

Peltier said he and Murel Kidd of Against the Grain AK do this sort of thing probably once a year. They play a show together and hand the profits over to a local charity.

Though only together in this form for about a year or two, Against the Grain AK is made up of musicians who have played around Alaska for years. They were the house band at the Mug-Shot Saloon in November.

As for The Connection, Peltier said they're also accomplished musicians.

"Connection, they've been around for I don't know how long, actually," he said. "I love that I get to do a gig with them though."

According to the band's Facebook page, The Connection, "has been, and still is, an Alaskan musical tradition."

The band got its start at The Houston Lodge and has played all over the state from Glennallen to Anchorage.

Peltier said there are two good reasons people should show up.

"One, it's the first time I'm aware of that there's been a show where three accomplished bands have played one evening in the winter in the Valley," he said. "And two, it's just a great opportunity to support our military."

Billed as "Three local bands, one epic night" and "The biggest party the Valley has ever seen" on fliers, promoters are calling it the Valley Legends Concert Series.

The long-term goal is to have two more concerts over the course of the year.

There will be a full bar courtesy of the Mug-Shot Saloon and attendees must be 21 to get in.

Contact Andrew Wellner at Andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.