KONGOS: Phoenix band back in Alaska for State Fair Sunday

WASILLA — Dylan Kongos says that this time, his band of brothers aren’t missing out on what Alaska has to offer.

Kongos and brothers Jesse, Johnny and Danny Kongos make up the Phoenix-based rock band KONGOS, influenced heavily by their childhoods spent in South Africa and London. KONGOS made its Alaska debut at Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse in Anchorage last summer, and is headed out to the Mat-Su Valley for the Alaska State Fair this weekend.

Dylan Kongos said in a phone interview Thursday that he and his brothers were “pretty bummed out” about not doing any sightseeing during their last trip north.

“It’s really frustrating just seeing a place like that from a hotel window,” he said.

This time, though, Kongos said, the band budgeted a couple extra days to take a charter boat out and (hopefully) see some Alaska wildlife.

“We’re really excited to get back up there and get to see more of Alaska,” he said.

Prior to last year’s Anchorage performance, Kongos said the band had “no idea” there were KONGOS fans up in Alaska, and was glad to see a full house at Humpy’s. He said the band has only played two or three fair gigs so far, but despite low expectations for turnout, had one of its best West Coast shows ever at a fair in Fresno.

Kongos said he’s hoping for more of the same in Palmer on Sunday, Aug. 28.

The music

KONGOS brought their first major-label album, “Lunatic,” to the U.S. last year, though the band had cultivated a significant following in South Africa years before. When the Lunatic single, “Come With Me Now,” hit American radio stations, the band had already started work on its latest album, “Egomaniac,” which fans got a taste of last year during the band’s live performances. KONGOS’ latest single, “Take it From Me,” appeared to audiences before the release of Egomaniac, allowing the band to tweak it for the studio version, adding in some electronically stylized vocals not present in the band’s debut album.

Still, all the songs from Egomaniac have that “KONGOS sound,” Kongos said, that blends layered African drumbeats and iconically rocking accordion with “weird” vocals and critical, philosophical and self-reflective lyrics.

“I don’t like the idea of being weird for the sake of being weird … but if someone hears a song and they think it’s unusual, that’s a great thing,” Kongos said.

After all, writing memorable songs is a huge part of a band’s success.

“It all boils down to writing a good song,” Kongos said. “At the end of the day, it’s the only thing that really feels real in this line of work, and it usually only happens a couple times in a lifetime.”

As for the accordion interjection — provided by Johnny Kongos — Dylan Kongos joked that the instrument “definitely brings in all the chicks,” but in all seriousness adds something both deeply cultural and unique to KONGOS.

“Lots of cultures have used the accordion for hundreds of years — it’s not just polka,” he said, and, “I think it resonates with people without them realizing it.”

KONGOS wouldn’t have developed its cool-but-weird sound if not for the brothers’ father, John Kongos, who got his sons into his home studio at a young age. The Kongos patriarch had made a name for himself in the UK decades earlier, reaching no. 4 on the top 10 UK singles chart in 1971 with “Tokoloshe Man.”

Dylan Kongos said his father has been “constantly involved” with KONGOS’ career, inspiring his children and offering advice when the band gets stuck.

“Sometimes he’ll come down (to the studio) to lend a fresh pair of ears and that’s really helpful,” Kongos said.

At the fair

KONGOS hits the stage in the Kendall Toyota Borealis Theater at 7 p.m., with special guest July Talk opening at 6.

“We’ve never met them or seen them perform, but have checked out their stuff online and we loved it,” Dylan Kongos said.

Great Land Trust is also hosting a pre-concert “Sapling and Smolt Soiree” for concert ticket holders under the Borealis Plaza Tent, with kids’ games and craft beer for the adults from Double Shovel Cider, Midnight Sun Brewing Co. and Arkose Brewery, beginning at 3 p.m.

Kongos said to expect about a fifty-fifty split between songs from “Lunatic” and “Egomaniac” for the Sunday performance, and encouraged fans to engage with the band on social media.

“Write on our Facebook page, tweet at us … we’ll read it,” Kongos said.

Tickets can be purchased in person or online at www.alaskastatefair.org/site/concerts/

Contact reporter Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.