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Ruthie Foster and Eric Bibb - "bring Alaska back to their folk roots..."
by Colby Bleicher - West High School


You wouldn't really think that Anchorage, Alaska would be home to a very enthusiastic fan base for Texan folk music. Well, you'd be wrong. On the evening of November 9, 2008, the Sydney Laurence Theatre was packed with a full house and the overwhelmingly powerful sounds of Ruthie Foster and Eric Bibb, two folk singers – both very talented and both very different.

The show opened with a 10-song set by Ruthie Foster. Though small and unassuming in appearance, Foster completely commanded the stage from the first note she played and sang. She stood in the middle of the plain black stage in a white collared shirt, blue jeans, and a simple green scarf – her rich and expressive voice didn't need anything extra to draw the audience's attention.

Foster's music uses simple lyrics, catchy rhythms, and punchy melodies. As she said in between songs, she likes to play a bit of everything – blues, gospel, "roots music," and even some reggae. Despite her voice's mournful tone, almost every song was uplifting in their lyrics and melodies. This, combined with her pleasant repartee with the crowd, created a very positive connection between the artist and the audience. After playing a particularly catchy and upbeat song, the audience cheered and stomped. Foster responded with "Aw, that felt good. That was like a good stretch."

Though Foster is a fine guitar player, her real talent lies in her voice. In several songs, she flawlessly belted out high notes for nearly 30 seconds. She didn't strain and she didn't look out of breath afterwards. Foster's ability to jump from soft, lullaby-like melodies to a superhuman belt caused the audience to give her a much-deserved standing ovation at the end of her set.

The second act featured Eric Bibb and his two guitars. He considers himself and Foster to be colleagues, but it was interesting to note how differently they perform and interpret folk music. Foster played a slowed down and mellow version of "Oh Susannah" (that was much prettier and more thoughtful than Stephen Foster's original), and Bibb brought bright melodies and lots of pieces to clap along with onto the stage.

Bibb, wearing a bubblegum pink shirt and a black Spanish hat, commanded the stage easily, similarly to Foster. His voice was both scratchy and warm, like an old record player. But his real power came from his hands. Bibb's guitar seemed to be split in two; there were times when it seemed impossible that that much melody and bass could be coming from the same instrument. His "finger pickin'" was so fast that his fingers blurred, yet the melodies were incredibly catchy.

The audience went wild when Foster joined Bibb for a couple of songs combining their positive energy at the end of the show. The two voices, though very different, blended together beautifully. Foster and Bibb received another standing ovation and were brought back onstage for an encore.

Despite our distance from the roots of folk music, Alaskans can relate to the touching stories and sounds of Ruthie Foster and Eric Bibb. As part of the Whistling Swan Production series this year, Foster and Bibb brought something fresh, yet familiar, to Alaska.

Ruthie Foster and Eric Bibb
Whistling Swan Productions
Sunday, November 9 at 4pm
Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, Sydney Laurence Theatre