Over the years, we have been graced by some of the world's best and most respected acoustic musicians: Cajun, blues, old-time, bluegrass, straight-up country and more have all sent some of their top representatives, from Merle Travis and Taj Mahal to the Balfa Brothers, Ricky Skaggs, John Cephas and Phil Wiggins. Those are just a few from the last 30 years.

Despite our town's regrettable lack of a decent venue for acoustic music performance, bands and musicians still manage to get us on their tour radar.

We're wading waist-deep through a nice run of great bands. When Folk Fest kicked off the season as it always does, along came the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Their enthusiasm, knowledge of their sources and just plain good manners made them a hit at the festival.

I'm sure you remember the Gallus Brothers, with their vaudevillian approach to drinking songs; our own Wisconsin Slim, up from Bellingham with his wailing slide guitar and the swamp-stomp beat; and here's hoping you caught the Caleb Klauder Band (Alaska contingent) either at Northern Light United Church or at the Alaskan last weekend.

There's more. Your Wilders string band will be making their second consecutive appearance in conjunction with a trip to the Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival up in Haines Junction, which starts tomorrow night.

They'll be performing here, sponsored by the Folk Festival, on Tuesday at Centennial Hall. This is a monster band that shouldn't be missed for this one-show-only visit.

Later in the week there will be some bar shows with a pickup band consisting of Ike Sheldon and Nate Gawron, (the Wilders' rioting rhythm section) along with Jeremy "Junior" Kane and Andrew "Rainbow" Heist of Juneau's Bluegrass 101, who will also be performing in Haines Junction this weekend.

Keep an eye on Hooligan for details, as always.

If you're one of the lucky Juneau contingents heading up to the festival, make sure not to miss Eli and Lindy Dickson-Jones. Powerful songwriting and beatific harmonies make this act from Haines one you won't soon forget.

As I squeeze in a couple more weeks of fun before commercial fishing season, I wonder what the rest of the summer will bring Juneau's halls and honky-tonks.

The enforced break from music to fish for a living is a great opportunity to listen to lots of different music out on deck. It makes a body hungrier to play.

The few jams that happen during closures, or later in the season when there's less daylight, serve to rejuvenate stiff fingers and rusty licks, helping us get through a long season.

In the meanwhile, keep up whatever it is that you do. The music will come. Musicians love to visit, and the reason is us.

Next month, look for a dispatch from the coast aboard the fishing vessel Ellie IV, where I'll be killing fish to country music and thinking about home.