COYLE — Star Anna is her real name. Nothing phony about this woman, said Norm Johnson, the man who’s been trying to bring her over to this side of the water for years now.
Star Anna Constancia Krogstie Bamford started out as a drummer. But by the time she was a teenager, she had to write songs. Instead of finishing college, the Ellensburg girl taught herself to play guitar and went out on the road, playing spots like the Pegasus Coffee House on Bainbridge Island.
That’s where Johnson, booker of musical entertainment at Pegasus, discovered Star Anna.
Since then, she’s toured with her rock band the Laughing Dogs, recorded with Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready and put out a fistful of albums including “Crooked Path,” “The Only Thing That Matters” and “The Sky Is Falling.”
Now, Johnson is the presenter of the Concerts in the Woods series in Coyle and delighted to have Star Anna over for a solo show at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
As usual with the concerts at the Laurel B. Johnson Community Center, admission is by donation and all ages are welcome. Star Anna’s songs, however, tend to be about grown-up matters.
“Her music is different,” not just in the dark topics she writes about, said Johnson. Star Anna’s delivery sets her apart.
“Not since the days of Janis Joplin and Linda Ronstadt have I heard a singer who so convincingly feels every word that she sings.
“It’s an emotional journey,” he said, “and you just can’t look away.”
Joplin is a heroine for the singer-songwriter. But Star Anna isn’t following in her footsteps. She’s sober now, has been for four years. And she is bringing her music to venues all over the country, having just finished a six-week tour that took her across the West to the South, the Midwest, the Dakotas and Montana.
Future gigs include Chinook Fest Summit, the July 10-12 festival also featuring Allen Stone at the Summit at Snoqualmie.
Yet Star Anna loves to play snug venues such as Coyle’s community center.
“That’s someplace I’ve never been before. And the people at those types of shows seem to be really paying attention, and happy to be there,” she said.
Star Anna won’t assemble a band for Saturday night’s gig, but she will have her guitar in her arms, a tambourine tied to her foot and her dog, Forest, beside her. She’s also bringing her mom.
After living and working day jobs in Seattle for five years, Star Anna recently returned to her home town of Ellensburg, where she’s devoting herself entirely to her music.
Star Anna’s songs are about her life experiences: struggles with family, work, drinking and love. She’s delving into the rootsy rock vein these days, veering away from the country twang she started out in. And in Saturday’s set, she plans to stir in a few covers of David Bowie and Tom Petty.
Whether it’s original or an ode to another artist, “what I do is from the heart,” she said.
For directions to and details about the show at the Laurel B. Johnson Community Center, 923 Hazel Point Road, see CoyleConcerts.com or contact Norm Johnson at 360-765-3449 or johnson5485@msn.com.
To see the artist’s videos and listen to her music, visit staranna.com.
