Brandi Carlile has two concerts in Alaska this weekend — at the Blue Loon in Fairbanks on Friday, and Saturday in Anchorage at the UAA Wendy Williamson Auditorium.

Brandi Carlile‘s music has been categorized in several genres, including pop, rock, alternative country, indie and folk. Before signing to a major record label, Carlile performed in local Seattle establishments with twin brothers Tim and Phil. Carlile sold her self-released recordings during local performances. Carlile began to attract the attention of the music industry after Dave Matthews heard her band perform at the 2003 Sasquatch! Music Festival.

Brandi donates $1 from every concert ticket sold to the Looking Out Foundation.

Brandi’s recent album Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Sympony was released in May. It adds a symphony sound to her indie-rock-with-a-country-backbeat music and her rough-sexy voice. Be sure to check out more of her music, too.

Read more about Brandi Carlisle at her website. One of our earlier posts on Bent Alaska includes excerpts from interviews in the Los Angeles Times and on Out.com after she came out publicly as a lesbian. From the Out.com interview:

Before you confirmed you were a lesbian to the Los Angeles Times, your sexuality had been a mystery to some people. What does your sexuality being no big deal say about the progress that we’re making as a society?

I was just talking with Amy Ray about this before the Times interview came out, because I had heard from my publicist that I was going to get to talk to Out. Anyway, she was talking about the leaps and bounds that we’ve made as a community — not that we don’t have a long way to go — and how much harder it was then when the Indigo Girls were coming out. And I could see by talking to her that they — along with k.d. and Melissa, Ellen, Elton John, and Freddie Mercury — really laid it out on the line and demanded nothing short of acceptance from people. I believe that if you asked them why they did it, they would tell you that they did it to be included, so for the generations to come there would be a real shot to walk through the world, including this industry. The truth is — I’m living proof of that. Those people are the way-pavers, and the best way for me to thank them is to take my place in the world seriously and live honestly.

What a great idea!  Let’s all take our place in the world seriously and live honestly.

In Fairbanks

• Date/time: Friday, July 15, 8:00 PM
• Location: Blue Loon, 2999 Parks Hwy, Fairbanks (see map)
• Cost of admission: $36 general admission, $200 table for 4, $300 table for 6. Tickets available in advance at the Blue Loon
• Special note: Age 21 and over only
• Further info: See the Blue Loon events calendar or the Facebook event page

In Anchorage

• Date/time: Saturday, July 16, 7:3- PM
• Location: UAA Wendy Williamson Auditorium (see map)
• Cost of admission: $33.50 in advance through Centertix; $35.00 at the door
• Further info: See the Facebook event page

Watch the video of her song “Dreams”:

Keep track of this and other events in LGBTQA Alaska with Bent Alaska’s events calendar.