Making waves at Salmonfest

No Wake Band, sprung from the father and son duo of Pat Wake and Sean Renard, is laying tracks down from their garage in the Butte, and making proverbial waves all over Alaska.

The family roster includes another musically-inclined son, Dan Wake, with the band shaped by an assemblage of talent including Michelle LaRose, Joe Lott, Sandra Ford, and Kateri Houser. The soulful American folk music rings as true today as it did for the British military officers who first gave Wake public recognition for his offerings in the early 90s. A 20-year veteran of the US Air Force and Alaska National Guard, he speaks reflectively of the restorative grace he discovered by playing for a crowd, saying, “I was deployed to the desert, this hostile place, and the camaraderie I found there was very welcomed. I was never really a military type, but somehow I did 20 years.’

A son of Ohio, who “ran out of luck and money” in Oregon, he eventually became an Alaskan and it seems to suit him well. With musical pedigree deep in his family tree, Wake speaks proudly of his extended family members who also share their gifts in this way, from Celtic styles to formal orchestra.

No Wake has enjoyed years of mounting acclaim, from bars to coffee shops to bluegrass festivals. Pat described traveling to Skwentna — which meant crossing three rivers for a rugged 70-plus mile trek with all their gear, connecting with locals beyond the stage, a benefit he surmised is unique to the Alaskan music scene. “Not many places include an adventure like that for a gig,” he chuckled softly. Alaska’s State Fair and Salmonfest are both on the docket this year. They recently returned from the revamped Anderson Family Music Festival, thoroughly appreciating the talent coming out of such venues. Wake paused deliberately as he mentioned the Anchorage group The Vinyl Floors, calling them “stunning. Not just good — stunning. Quite polished.”

He looks forward to Salmonfest as another chance to revel in the fellowship of music lovers in their element.

A longtime parishioner of St. Michael Catholic Church in Palmer, Wake has occasionally been invited to join their prison ministry, which he looks forward to re-visiting — pondering a way to bring the healing he himself has benefitted from in music. He shares candidly about the pain and disillusionment which colored his midlife years, and the therapeutic role of writing and playing songs. His composition process is deeply spiritual. He has received verses in their entirety, describing an event more like transcription than cobbling a song together. “They come from a mood, man.”

The significance of music in healing his own PTSD has come to define much of his daily routine. He sees the benefits among many different tempraments, from those who live with dyslexia (including himself) to others who decompress through music as a hobby or an outlet. His recruitment for the band has come from personal connections, and continues to be fostered through a true love of the jam session.

Personally, Pat sees a strong correlation between certain segments of military life and the revolving American prison system. Of the expected return to civilian life after extreme deprivation, regiment and trauma, “you don’t function.”

He spoke tenderly of learning about a homeless camp shakedown in Anchorage, resulting in a list of criminal offenders now drifting among the streets. One of his first popular songs, “It Gets You Down”, was written as his own brother was released from prison years ago. Almost as a confirmation of the parallels he has long observed, a Vietnam veteran approached him with tears in his eyes after hearing the song performed live, saying it unexpectedly transported him back to the warzone.

Entirely self-taught, Wake doesn’t read music at all and acknowledges the limitations of that method when it comes to teaching others. Houser, his student for six years, came with established technical skills. When he inquired what her goals were musically, she answered simply but ambitiously, “I want to play at the fair with you and Sean.”

No Wake looks forward to continuing their established route along the Alaska Highway and beyond — capturing notes both high and low — illuminating the soul’s journey toward love. Music can be heard and CDs can be ordered at patwake.com. As their journey unfolds to include more traffic, contentment is not taken for granted.

“Along the way there is friends and family hanging out around the campfire; enjoying the simple things of life,” the band’s website offers.