You Really Can See Russia From Here with Josie Stiles - TAS #24
The Alaska Show
This week on The Alaska Show Podcast Emily and Alex sit down with Josie Stiles. Josie spent her childhood in Anchorage and Unalakleet, and moved to Nome as a young adult where she has contributed to the area VPSO program, the Nome and State Arts Councils, and tourism in Nome.
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You Can Do Surgery Anywhere with Doc Sayer - TAS #23
The Alaska Show
We sit down with surgeon Doc Sayer and gold miner Emily Riedel in Nome. Doc is 82 and has been doing general surgery across Alaska for 50 years. He's asurgeon from a bygone era - performing everything from brain surgery to heart surgery - performing procedures in homes with his wife and nursing assistant Frankie and sometimes taking payment in the form of game meat instead of cash. In addition to being a medical pioneer in the state of Alaska, Doc has been a gold miner for 40 years.
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Advice from a Real Alaskan Gold Miner with Augie Krutsch - TAS #22
The Alaska Show
This week on The Alaska Show Podcast I talk to Augie Krutsch, the owner of AKAU Alaska Gold Mining Adventure Camp in Nome, Alaska, and Emily Riedel, Bering Sea gold dredger - to talk gold mining in Nome. Augie's family has been mining since the 1930s - and he paints a picture of the history of the place and his adventures in placer mining. Augie tells me how to win the mining game and why he doesn't care when guests walk out with 5 oz nuggets they find on his claim.
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Boy from the Bush Wins an Emmy with Ben Staley - TAS #21
The Alaska Show
This week on The Alaska Show Podcast I talk to Ben Staley - born and bred Alaskan, filmmaker, TV producer, and Emmy award winner. Ben tells me about growing up off-the-grid, getting his start in Hollywood, creating a documentary about F/V Starbound, stories from his time working on Deadliest Catch, and how to get your start in the entertainment business as a creative.
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Flying From Imperial Africa to Alaska with Andrew Smallwood - TAS #20
The Alaska Show
This week on The Alaska Show Podcast I speak to Andrew Smallwood, pilot and fisherman/owner of the Celtic Cross seiner in Cordova. Andrew tells me about his childhood on a coffee farm in Kenya, apartheid South Africa, being the personal pilot of the King of Lisotho, coming to Alaska, the events that have had huge impacts on Prince William Sound fisheries, and the future of seining.
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Alaskan Brewing Co with Geoff Larson - TAS #19
The Alaska Show
This week I sit down with Geoff Larson, co-founder of Alaskan Brewing Company in Juneau, Alaska. Geoff and I talk trends in hard seltzer and beer, brewing Alaskan flavors into beer, how being off the road system forced him to innovate the brewing process, and what the beer shelves will look like in 15 years.
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TheAlaskaLife.com with Kyle Moffat - TAS #18
The Alaska Show
This week on The Alaska Show Podcast I sit down with Kyle Moffat, the founder of The Alaska Life social media platform and www.TheAlaskaLife.com. We talk about our shared experiences starting a content business, how he built the largest social media platform in the state, his advice for people trying to start a similar business, growing up in the interior, and where to visit to get the quintessential Alaska experience.
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Alaska's Future Blue Economy with Justin Sternberg - TAS #17
The Alaska Show
This week on The Alaska Show Podcast I talk to Alaska Ocean Cluster Program Manager Justin Sternberg. Justin and I talk about the future of Alaska's economy - which he believes involves a higher utilization of the seafood catch in processing, mariculture, and developing new products from Alaska's underexplored coastal resources.
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Alaska's Largest Oyster Farm with Weatherly Bates - TAS #16
The Alaska Show
This week I talk to Weatherly Bates, cofounder of Glacier Point Oyster Farm in Halibut Cove, Alaska. Weatherly and her husband have created a nationally-recognized product and turned their farm into the largest commercial oyster and mussel operation in Alaska. We talk about the challenges of shellfish farming, the oyster market, how Covid forced them to pivot locally, and the time She shot a bear nine months pregnant.
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Commish of ADFG with Douglas Vincent-Lang - TAS #15
The Alaska Show
This week on The Alaska Show Podcast I sit down with Commissioner of Alaska Department of Fish and Game Douglas Vincent-Lang. Doug and I discuss how many bears should be on the Kenai Peninsula, the state's relationship with the federal government, subsistence, and raising the next generation of hunters and fishermen.
info_outlineThis week we sit down with Atz Kilcher. You probably know Atz as the star of the "Alaska: The Last Frontier" reality tv show on Discovery Channel. You may not know that Atz is also an artist, a musician, a retired social worker, and a veteran. In this episode we talk about everything from his complex childhood on the homestead, people's misconceptions about living a simple life in the woods, being defined as the son of a famous father and father to a famous daughter, his children and how they've had to adjust to Jewel's early success as an internationally-renowned musical artist, talking about and coping with an abusive father, writing his memoir, and why the Kilcher family has made a splash in entertainment for so many generations.
If you would like to meet him and see his art Atz is having a First Friday show for his Flower Baskets at Bunnell Street Arts Center on Friday, March 6th!
We also talk to South Peninsula Hospital Physical Therapist Kristen Rubio about the power of pilates and the importance of stretching in injury prevention and Alex and JJ talk The Alaska Show and Homer events.
Check out www.TheAKShow.com for all of our new video and blog content in addition to the podcast.
Stay tuned for our one-year anniversary party on March 21st at Alice's Champagne Palace! Music by Robert Toner, prizes, games, and guests from Homer's thriving entrepreneurial scene!
Introduction (1:28)
South Peninsula Hospital Rehab - Kristen Rubio (14:10)
Interview with Atz Kilcher (19:03)
Show Notes
Intro
The artwork and name of the podcast has been changed to “The Alaska Show”
The Alaska Show Podcast and The Homer Alaska Podcast episodes are available under that show – episodes still released weekly!
Podcast now available on Google Play
Our anniversary party is on March 21st at Alice’s from 8-11pm! Games, prizes, music, special guests, and a great time!
Rehab – Kristen Rubio, PT
Physical Therapist specializing in pilates to help her clients
Discusses history of pilates and what makes it so effective as an exercise therapy.
Specific injuries and programs that she will address with pilates.
Injury tip – don’t forget to stretch!
Atz Kilcher Interview
Retired music educator, veteran
Atz’s baskets are going to be featured in Bunnell First Friday event on March 6th with another local artist – the show is called “Flower Baskets”
Does Atz still feel defined by his relationships with his famous father and daughter?
Sometimes Atz is recognized before his daughter now after the success of Alaska: The Last Frontier
Being famous is a skill – people either improve and grow from it or they let it go to their head
Started in music doing music shows in Anchorage and around the state with ex-wife Nedra and performing on radio.
When Yule Kilcher came from Switzerland in the 1930s to get away from the rising Nazi influence in Europe he made a movie about the Kilcher homestead so he could start a community.
The homestead where Atz grew up was simultaneously a beautiful, happy place and an abusive home environment as a result of his father’s actions.
What are the biggest misconceptions people have actually living and growing up on a homestead? “Happiness is the inner work you do, not living in the woods”
Atz was born in Switzerland and he went back when he was 10 so his dad could show the film. For two years he and his siblings got in lots of trouble.
Got drafted and shipped off to Vietnam. Lied about having a sleepwalking illness to get out of the draft and told a World War 2 veteran who turned him in.
Used to be a practicing Mormon. Converted when he was 17 because all of his friends’ families were Mormon. Dropped out when he was 35.
Recorded first LP with ex-wife Nedra in’76. Recorded second in ’78. At that point there weren’t many recording artists in Alaska. Started doing family shows around the state until ’83 when he and Nedra split and he came back to Homer.
Music and horses saved Atz’s life – both meant independence.
Atz and Jewel played music around the state together until she was 16.
Nikos – Atz’s fourth child, grew up later than the other three. He only spent a year with Atz at age 16 growing up, but has the musical gene. He works for forestry and is a firefighter
The oldest son Shane was always was into building and arts and crafts and outdoors and worked with Atz doing social work. Today he works with kids in Homer.
Atz Lee is a singer-songwriter and an outdoorsman.
His sons have had to learn to live in the limelight of their sister.
When Atz wrote his memoir the biggest challenge was to tell the truth about his home life and not give it an air of self-pity. He is most proud of the comments he gets from men his age who thank him for his courage to talk about his home life and have given them the courage to talk about it as well.
It’s easier to think about stories from his childhood after writing the book and doing the audiobook.
Alaska The Last Frontier inception: Some folks from Discovery were in Homer looking for homesteaders and were introduced to the Kilchers. After a sizzle reel and some interviews they got a show. It all happened very quickly – less than a month. The team didn’t even know they were related to Jewel, although Atz suspected otherwise. The show is now on its 9th season.
A lot of the Kilcher family has made it into the entertainment industry.
A lot of the people who watch the show say they’ve learned something
Early in the show narrators relied on drama and high-stakes. Most people understand the Kilchers don’t need a moose to eat for the winter, but the show depicts how life on a true homestead is lived.
The old Homer still exists in Atz’s mind. It’s harder to know everyone and there is more development, but he’s happy it’s progressing.