Artists:Lou Nathanson

Born in New York City, Lou Nathanson spent much of his youth absorbed in Jack London novels, wondering if (as London claimed) spit really does freeze in the air at 60-below-zero.

Inspired by the folk-boom of the early '60s, Lou got his first guitar when he was ten, and often spent Sunday afternoons in Washington Square Park hanging around the street jams. After a brief, obligatory sojourn in a teenage rock band, he returned to acoustic music and has stayed with it ever since.

Afraid that he might miss the dying gasps of the '60s, Lou dropped out of school at 16 and hitchhiked cross-country doing a number of things that he should probably have skipped. By 18, he was back in New York for a year, but soon realized he was just not a city kid at heart. The next five years found him living in a series of cabins in Western Massachusetts, pretending he was really in the wilderness.

Lou finally made it to Alaska in 1977, unabashedly looking for adventure, but also determined to find out about Jack London and the spit. Over the last 21 years, he has worn the respective hats of a mechanic, prospector, trapper, bush pilot, engineer, and musician. (It's said that those people are still looking for their hats, and reportedly, are not very happy.)

From 1979 to 1986, Lou lived on a small homestead, 50 miles from the nearest village. Access was by bush-plane, boat, or dog-team. Having already acquired a team of 13 dogs, it was a small step to add a couple of kids to the family. Lou's children, Casey and Areli, born in 1983 and 1985, are now studying fiddle, banjo, and keyboard. (No...They were both born in a hospital in Fairbanks. Lou is not that crazy.)

Eventually, the bush life got too easy, so Lou went back to school, obtaining an engineering degree. He now lives in a boring suburban house near Anchorage with his two children, three fish, and some houseplants.

Soon after moving into town, Lou began writing songs about Alaska, perhaps as a way of solidifying his memories of the bush. Eventually, though, he turned his satirical gaze toward more current experiences regarding technology and life in the '90s. Some of the best of Lou's songs are now available on his CD entitled, Genetically Enhanced. Lou has had the honor of opening for such folks as Christine Lavin, Bill Morrissey, Bryan Bowers, Cosey Sheridan and Suzzy Roche.

With regard to the spit freezing...well you'll have to come to Alaska and find out for yourself..