Sixteen.Five Headlines Kenny Lake Fair

Sixteen.Five, an eclectic folk band with jazzy vibes, featuring sisters Amy Helkenn, Rebekah Donahue, and Rebekah’s husband Joe Donahue, will be headlining the Kenny Lake Fair on Aug. 21-22.

Amy and Rebekah have been playing music together for a long time. Growing up in a musical family with six siblings, they were always making music together in different configurations and played at the Kenny Lake Fair frequently as kids.

The family band shifted when Amy left Alaska to work in Antarctica for a few years. When she returned, Rebekah was excited to fire up the band and play with her sister again, who Rebekah says is the powerhouse vocalist of the group. 

One summer in McCarthy at an open mic, Rebekah saw Joe Donahue perform and said to a friend, “Oh, he’s really good!” Her friend introduced them that evening.  They are now married and have been playing music ever since.

After several iterations with different family members in the band, Sixteen.Five is now a trio with Amy Helkenn on vocals, Rebekah Donahue on saxophone, and Joe Donahue moving between guitar and piano and writing most of the original songs.

The band name, Sixteen.Five is rooted in Kenny Lake, where the sisters’ grandparents staked a homestead in the 1960s at Mile 16.5 on the Edgerton Highway. Rebekah and Amy grew up there and have identified with that place —  and mile marker — their entire lives. The land is very special to the entire family, said Rebekah. Their parents spend about half the year on the family homestead in Kenny Lake. 

“So much of who we are has come from that place, the land, and the community there,” Rebekah explained, “so it seemed like a good choice for the band name.” 

Sixteen.Five plays original songs and also performs covers like Come On Up to the House by Tom Waits and Ain’t No Sunshine by Bill Withers. They describe their music as vocally driven, with a jazzy vibe thanks to the saxophone, and an eclectic mix of styles and genres.

Amy Helkenn lives in Anchorage, and Rebekah and Joe Donahue are based in Palmer. With busy lives, they all find time to play music and perform at festivals like the upcoming Kenny Lake Fair (Aug. 21-22), the Anchorage Folk Festival, and the Spenard Jazz Fest. 

Rebekah has two daughters, and they love to dance along to the music their parents make at performances. For Rebekah, the joy of music and the opportunity to build community are worth the effort and time it takes to keep a band going.

This summer will be the second time Sixteen.Five, in its current form, has played the Kenny Lake Fair. They are excited to bring music and joy to the fair this year.

“It's really special to us to be able to come back to the community that has been such a huge part of our lives and has done so much to shape who we are,” Rebekah said. “To still be able to share music here is really special.”