‘Unchained’ and drumming in Alaska

Connie Brannock’s Tiny House of Funk seeks to “extend joy through music” at Soldotna Creek Park

Connie Brannock’s Tiny House of Funk. (Photo provided by Seldovia Arts Council)

Connie Brannock’s Tiny House of Funk. (Photo provided by Seldovia Arts Council)

Next week’s Levitt AMP Soldotna Music Series headliner is Connie Brannock’s Tiny House of Funk — who flew up from Tucson, Arizona, this week for an Alaska tour that includes both the 6 p.m. performance at Soldotna Creek Park on Wednesday, and a headlining appearance at the Seldovia Music Festival this weekend.

“My personal mission is to extend joy through music,” Brannock said Tuesday.

The Tiny House of Funk brings blues-infused dance music. Brannock said they are looking to have fun, be engaging and keep folks moving on Wednesday.

The Tiny House of Funk is a smaller complement of the larger Little House of Funk, with whom Brannock plays in Arizona — with around 14 members. She said they can adapt, select the right members and “plug and play” to match the gig. Playing with Brannock in Alaska this week is Mitzi Cowell, Liz Fletcher and Rob Paulus.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Brannock was a successful artist and was signed to a record label in 1986. Instead of delivering a single, she went through basic training and joined the military at 34.

According to her website, she served for 21 years — until returning to music as a retired command sergeant major in 2009.

Now she’s 67, and plays music on her own terms. She said she saw photos of the Soldotna Music Series and knew immediately that it would be a good fit. There’s a special summertime energy in the “northern climes,” she said. Folks are pent up for winter, but then they get out and relish the good times.

“It looks unchained,” she said.

The Alaska tour came together when Brannock met Susie Stranik, chairman of the Seldovia Arts Council, who was visiting Tucson in the winter. That was last year. Now Brannock and her Tiny House of Funk are in Alaska and Brannock’s worried that “we’re gonna freeze”

She said that she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have a “wonderful experience” for herself and her band. They’re going to be staying right on the water in Seldovia, see “eagles flying around like we have pigeons,” mountains and otters. She said they’re going to hike, see the beaches and ride a fishing boat. They’re being ferried from Anchorage by a floatplane that delivers groceries to Seldovia.

Ahead of the start of Brannock’s performance on Wednesday — before opener Wasabi Black takes the stage — she’ll host a drum workshop at 5 p.m. She said that she wasn’t too sure yet what that was going to look like, but she’s a good improviser. She said she’ll show off the beauty of her cajón, a Peruvian box drum, and encourage others to get involved.

“Playing in a band is the ultimate team sport,” she said.

She said that there’s a magic inherent in music, an interdependence of rhythms, a kinesthetic pulse that gets the people going. During the workshop, she said she’ll share her experience — then invite others to share theirs.

For more information about Connie Brannock’s Tiny House of Funk, visit conniebrannock.com or facebook.com/ConnieBrannock. For more information about the Levitt AMP Soldotna Music Series, visit facebook.com/LevittAMPSoldotnaMusicSeries.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in Life

This takeout favorite is deceptively easy and comes together faster than it can be delivered. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
A sweet and sour dinner for 3

I really wanted some sweet and sour takeout this weekend, but all my favorite restaurants are far outside of delivery range.

File
Christ is risen — He is risen, indeed!

This proclamation celebrated on Easter, or Resurrection Sunday, is a defining call and response made by followers of Jesus.

Drew O’Brien explores the ruins of the Kings County Mining Company’s cabin near Skilak Lake, circa 1999, about a century after it was constructed alongside a then-unnamed stream. (Photo by Clark Fair)
Mary Penney and her 1898 Alaska adventure — Part 1

I have been chasing the facts of this adventure for 35 years.

The Seward Sleeper Sharks present during the 28th Annual Alaska Tsunami Bowl in the Seward High School Auditorium in Seward, Alaska, on Feb. 28, 2025. (Photo provided by Mica Van Buskirk)
Seward teams earn 2nd, 4th place at Alaska Tsunami Bowl

Seward students who competed this year were recognized Monday with a commending resolution by the Seward City Council.

These poached pears get their red tinge from a cranberry juice bath. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
A dessert to stimulate the senses

These crimson-stained cranberry poached pears offer a soft and grainy texture.

File
Minister’s Message: Palm Sunday — ‘Hosanna in the highest!’

The fact that Jesus came back to Jerusalem for Passover was an intentional decision of Jesus.

Cecil Miller took leave from Akron (Ohio) Police Department to join the U.S. Navy Seabees during World War II. When he returned to the force after his military service, he was featured in an October 1945 article in the Akron Beacon Journal.
The Man Called ‘Greasy’ — Part 2

Two distinct versions of Cecil “Greasy” Miller received the most publicity during his brief tenure on the southern Kenai Peninsula.

The cast of Seward High School Theatre Collective’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” rehearse on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
‘A jaunt into a fantastical world’

Seward theater collective returns for second weekend of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

Debbie Adams joins Kenai Mayor Brian Gabriel in cutting a ribbon during the grand opening of Debbie’s Bistro in its new location in the Kenai Municipal Airport in Kenai, Alaska, on Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Debbie’s Bistro opens in Kenai Municipal Airport

The menu features waffles, waffle pizzas and waffle sandwiches.

“Octoparty,” by Kenai Alternative High School student Adelynn DeHoyos, and “Green Speckled Ocean,” by Soldotna High School Student Savannah Yeager are seen as part of the 34th Annual Visual Feast Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Juried Student Art Show during an opening reception at the Kenai Art Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
‘Consume a bunch of art’

The 34th Annual Visual Feast showcases art by Kenai Peninsula Borough School District students.

File
Minister’s Message: Unexpected joy

This seems to be the way of life, undeniable joy holding hands with unavoidable sorrow.

Photo courtesy of the Pratt Museum
During her brief time on the southern Kenai Peninsula, Dorothy Miller, wife of Cecil “Greasy” Miller, was a part of the Anchor Point Homemakers Club. Here, Dorothy (far left, standing) joins fellow area homemakers for a 1950 group shot. Sitting on the sled, in the red blouse, is Dorothy’s daughter, Evelyn, known as “Evie.”
The Man Called ‘Greasy’ — Part 1

There are several theories concerning the origin of Cecil Miller’s nickname “Greasy.”