A benefit show of live music and presentations on Saturday evening is meant to be a memorial celebration for what Steven Kissack could be, and a way to help others experiencing homelessness from the unfortunate circumstances that resulted in his death last month, according to organizers.
Kissack, 35, was fatally shot by law enforcement officers July 15 following a prolonged standoff while he was wielding a knife. The standoff came after years of him living on the streets of downtown Juneau — and becoming well known to many residents due in part to his constant canine companion Juno — with police saying troublesome confrontations with him had increased in the months before his death.
But David Elrod, who organized “Voices For Steve: A Memorial Benefit Show” at the Crystal Saloon as the establishment’s booking agent, said on Thursday he knew Kissack as a different person.
“I know that he walked a lot of our bartenders, our female bartenders, to their cars at night,” he said. “I know that he was a really gentle person. I know I never had a problem with him. I know that I would bring him food when I could.”
A photo of Steven Kissack at a memorial in downtown Juneau on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, near where he was fatally shot by police the previous day. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
The benefit show, with doors opening at 5 p.m. and music starting at 6 p.m., is scheduled to feature 10 local music performers, live painting by Artist Natalie that will be auctioned off, and guest speakers addressing the struggles people like Kissack are going through and what is being done to try to help them, Elrod said.
The scheduled lineup of performers includes Nicole Church, Stewie Wood, Lisa Denny, Juneaucorns, Luke Weld, Heather Mountcastle, Teri Tibbett, Quinton Woolman-Morgan, the Rain Dogs, and Josh Fortenbery.
“It wasn’t hard for me to come up with a list of people,” Elrod said. “It was a matter of paring it down. I was really surprised by some of the people who wanted to be a part of it. It kind of got to the point where when I was asked I had to turn some people away.”
Proceeds from all ticket sales and 10% of bar sales are going to Gastineau Human Services, which offers transitional housing, addiction and behavioral health treatment, and other programs to help people reestablish a sustainable living situation.
Elrod said he initiated the event because of the strong public reaction to Kissack’s death, which many people have called a failure by the community to prevent such situations from happening.
“I could see how everybody was kind of hurting on the block and not really knowing what to do, but wanting to do something,” Elrod said.
Homelessness has been a more prominent issue in recent months due to the Juneau Assembly implementing a “dispersed camping” policy that means for the first time in many years there is no officially sanctioned campground for people experiencing homelessness to stay. Also, a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision upheld an Oregon law that makes sleeping outdoors in public places illegal, which has local officials evaluating more strict measures against such activity here.
Concerns about people experiencing homelessness are commonly shared by many downtown business owners, said Jared Curè, owner of the Crystal Saloon. But he said the community has some responsibility to support programs such as those by Gastineau Human Services and other agencies for everyone’s sake.
“Certainly there’s some incidents which are less than ideal,” he said. “And unfortunately if we don’t support these people then it gets to the point where police have to get involved.”
Numerous people are questioning whether officers needed to shoot Kissack — who suddenly ran in the general direction of an officer moments before he was killed — and the incident is being reviewed by state officials. Curè said Saturday’s benefit show isn’t about questioning the officers’ actions.
“This isn’t intended to be anti-police by any means,” he said. “They have an important job to do. But I think that we have a job to do as a community before that happens — to support these people in addiction and mental health and housing them so that they don’t get to the point where they’re having to do negative things within the community to try to sustain their lifestyle.”
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
Know and Go
What: “Voices For Steve: A Memorial Benefit Show,” featuring Juneau artists performing to benefit Gastineau Human Services in Steve Kissack’s name.
When: Saturday. Doors open at 5 p.m., music begins at 6 p.m.
Where: Crystal Saloon, 218 Front St.
Tickets: $30 in advance, $40 at the door.
Website for tickets and more information: www.crystalsaloon.com.
