Reunion: At this year's festival, Joe Page, pictured, will play Saturday with his brother, George, in Juneau for the first time since 1982. BRIAN WALLACE/ THE JUNEAU EMPIRE

Five-piece bluegrass band Tanana Grass had established a following in Fairbanks by 1978, when it hooked a Friday-Saturday gig at Juneau's old Crystal Saloon during the weekend of the fourth annual Alaska Folk Festival.

The group, which was broke, was in town for the festival. Brothers George, who plays banjo, and Joe Page, who plays mandolin, remember a "more loosely organized" scene at the Alaska State Museum and spending $5 to stay at the pre-renovation Alaskan Hotel.

"(The Alaskan) was pretty wild," said George, then 25, now 51. "I remember jams in the halls that first time we were there. And there was a woman walking down the hall, screaming something about blood on the walls."

"Back then the festival really hadn't permeated through the state," said Joe, 45. "And it didn't take a whole lot of people to fill the museum up. I can remember a lot of times people would be lined up back on the ramp (to the second floor), to the point where you could hardly see the music or hear it."

George and Joe were back in 1979, 1980 and then finally in 1982 - when they played together in several sets, including The Rhythm Romancers and Zoot Loot and the Moon Unit Boys.

"It was the middle of the Faulklands War," George said. "I remember sitting around the bar and seeing it on TV."

That was the last time they played together in Juneau. Joe moved to Anchorage in 1982, where he's lived ever since. He's missed just three festivals since 1978 and has become one of the best known mandolin players in the state.

George went back to school in 1982, set aside the banjo for 15 years and "became obsessed with math and engineering." He worked as a consultant for a decade in Massachusetts and a decade in Atlanta, then moved back to Anchorage in winter 2002. He still works for the same consulting company, but telecommutes from Hillside.

George also picked up the banjo again, about five years ago. He and Joe will play their first show together in 22 years at 9:15 p.m. Saturday, April 17. Joel Kadarauch, a member of the Rank Strangers with Joe, will play guitar. Robin Dale Ford will play bass. As the Page Brothers, they plan to play straight bluegrass.

"It's going to be fun," said George, who has battled carpal tunnel syndrome for the past few months and is just getting back into playing. "I played so much for so many years that my brain is hard-wired for banjo licks. It was like getting back on the bicycle."