Daily Sitka Sentinel

It’s Stardust Time, and Nervis Rex is Back

By SHANNON HAUGLAND

Sentinel Staff Writer

Nervis Rex, the band that will play at this year’s Stardust Ball, says the group’s main goal is to play music that “keeps people dancing from the time they get on the dance floor till they get kicked out.”

Nervis Rex plays at the Centennial Building in 2012.  (Photo Provided by Bobbi Jordan)

“It’s nonstop energy,” said Justin Somaduroff, the trombone player and one of the singers for the Anchorage-based band.

And if the experience of past years is any measure, that energy will be matched by those attending the annual costume party and dance at Harrigan Centennial Hall Saturday night.

Doors open at 7 p.m, the lip-sync contest is at 8 and the band will play from 9 p.m. to about midnight, with a break at 10 p.m. for the costume contest. The event is for ages 21 and up, with prizes for the best costumes and lip-sync acts.

The dance is KCAW Raven Radio’s biggest “special event fundraiser” of the year. Tickets usually sell out.

Nervis Rex played at the ball four years ago, and KCAW station co-managers Ken and Rachel Fate figured it was time to bring them back.

“Of all the Stardust bands, this is one that has received the most positive acclaim,” said Ken. “It’s definitely a party band – they do a lot of costume changes.”

Somaduroff, in his 14th year with the band, said Nervis Rex plans to play a variety of original tunes and ska covers, which may sound like originals since they won’t be familiar to many – if not most – of the party-goers. The band has been looking forward to the chance to come back for another Stardust, Somaduroff said. Some not so subtle hints were dropped to the Fates through emails.

“Last time we came down we had such a blast,” Somaduroff said. “The event was fun, and people in Sitka were so nice – everywhere we went people were so nice. It’s a cool community.”

There have been some personnel changes since the band’s last visit. Somaduroff switched from trumpet to trombone, and there’s now a baritone saxophone in the mix – but the sound should be familiar to Stardust regulars.

“Lots of dance music,” Somaduroff said.

The band has released two albums but nothing recent. He said the music group is a passion but not a full-time job for any of its members. (Somaduroff is a high school music teacher in Anchorage.)

He said he can’t guarantee Sitkans will recognize their tunes – original or covers – but can guarantee they’ll want to dance.

“It’s a fun, streamlined show, the music doesn’t stop between songs,” Somaduroff said. “It’s going to be a total blast. We’ve been excited about this gig ... we said after the last one, anytime you want us to do that again, we’re coming.”

Other band members are Scott Emery (drums, singer), Cody Keim (bass), Carlos Martinez (guitar), Daniel Whitfield (trumpet) and James Webb (baritone sax).

“It’s one of the best opportunities to dance all year long,” Ken Fate said. “It’s a nice variety of dance-able rock and roll – everybody can just dance with abandon.”

The Fates say they look forward to Stardust all year, although it entails a lot of work. Both have been involved not only in organizing the dances for years but have personally taken the art of lip sync, emceeing and costumes to a new level, appearing as Popeye and Olive Oyl, Rocky Horror stars, King King Louis and Marie Antoinette, W.C. Fields and Mae West, and Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill to name a few.

Rachel said she enjoys seeing Sitkans’ creativity on display all night.

“It impresses me every year. There’s a lot of great energy because people are in costume,” she said.

“Make it simple, do whatever,” Ken said. “Some put time and effort into it. It’s a unique time and place in Sitka for people to be anonymous. Sometimes I don’t find out till weeks later who someone was.”

“It’s awesome,” Rachel said.

A much anticipated component of the night is the lip-sync contest. A wider range of talent will be onstage this year, with eight or nine acts, the increase perhaps influenced by the up to four free tickets that come with each act.

“We had an effort to revitalize that,” Rachel said.

The costume contest takes place in stages, with judges handing out 25 “golden tickets” before the judging at 10 p.m.

Celebrity judges will award first, second and third prizes ($100, $50, $25) for the lip sync and costume contests.

Tickets are $35 and are available at Old Harbor Books, and at the door if there are any left. The Fates said it’s not a good idea to wait till the last minute because the 700 tickets are usually sold out before the big night. About half were gone when the Fates talked to the Sentinel last week.

Alcohol is served at the dance, so everybody has to carry ID “no matter how skimpy your costume is,” Ken said.

If you need more information about the ball, call Ken at 747-5877.