Does the family that plays together really stay together?

It seems to be so, judging from the funky extended “family” of musicians returning to town for the 2008 installment of the wildly popular What the Heck Fest July 18-20 at several venues around town.

The roster includes musically and artistically talented friends, brothers, past and present bandmates, classmates, old roommates, in-laws, domestic partners and others connected by every imaginable long-term emotional bond. More than 40 bands — some of them pretty well-known — will play wildly diverse music, shop at the Shipwreck Day Flea Market, swim at Whistle Lake and hang out.

All passes have been sold out for several weeks, but tickets should be available at the door of the City Hall shows, the pre-festival show at Department of Safety and the joint cover pub events, according to the festival’s Web site. Arrive early, because most events will probably sell out. There is also a free concert all Saturday afternoon at Causland Memorial Park, and joint cover events at the Brown Lantern Ale House and the Watertown Pub.

Started in 2002 by Bret Lunsford, Phil Elverum and Dave Matthies of the Knw-Yr-Own recording label, What the Heck Fest caught on immediately. The summer camp, rummage sale, family reunion aspects of the event resonate with alternative, do-it-yourself, indie-type musicians, who come from far and wide, but mostly from points along the Northwest coast between Portland and Bellingham and from the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Organizers say the artists enjoy eating together, listening to the innovative array of performers and enjoying a vacation in Anacortes.

The festival is sticking to its tried and true formula, offering a mix of styles and exciting new stuff in each show.

What the Heck schedule:

Thursday, an unofficial Heck Fest show is 7 p.m. at the Department of Safety with Burl, Tender Forever, Oregon Donor, Trampoline Team, #### & Swan and International Falls. Admission, $7, is not included in a Heck Pass. On Friday and Saturday there are separate joint cover pub events. On Friday, WORMS and Love Tan are at the Watertown Pub and Bryan, Frank & Bob, the Moondoggies are at the Brown Lantern Ale House; and on Saturday it’s the Coconut Coolouts, Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive To Death at the Watertown Pub and Yes, Oh Yes, TacocaT and See Me River at the Brown Lantern.

On Friday, official events start with a sold-out opening dinner show at the Anacortes Croatian Club with D+, Sandman and Katy Davidson.

Also Friday is a big show from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. in City Hall’s basement with Mt. Eerie, Lucky Dragons, Karl Blau, Calvin Johnson and Ian Svenonius and the Owl & the Pussycat & the Moore Brothers.

On Saturday, July 19, is a free all-day “sushi show” noon to 7 p.m. at Causland Memorial Park. Performers are Bryce Panic/Better Bizness Bureau, Caulfield & His Magical Violin, Gift Machine, Jason Traeger/Oregon Painting Society, Desolation Wilderness, Lonely Forest and Nate Ashley.

Another marathon show follows from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday in the basement of City Hall. The lineup includes Angelo Spencer, Ô Paon, Photosynthesis, Graves, Little Wings, Kimya Dawson and Your Heart Breaks.

On Sunday, July 20, an 11 a.m. “brunch show” at Anderson’s Store on Guemes Island features Real Live Tigers, Dennis Driscoll and Solvents.

A long day of music follows, with official What the Heck closing ceremonies, 1 to 10 p.m. Sunday at Department of Safety. Performers are Jib Kidder Chalk Space, with all-day superchalking and boomboxing, Al Larsen, LAKE, Mirah & Spectratone International, Stella Marrs, Khaela Maricich, A Rich Jensen Intensive and Alyse Emdur.


What the Heck Fest highlights:

• Kimya Dawson, a longtime Heck Fest participant, had a taste of national fame in the last year or so with her quirky contributions to the “Juno” soundtrack. Her wordy epics and simple acoustic ballads, filled with honest heart and soul, laughter and tears, make listeners feel needed and important. With The Moldy Peaches on hiatus, she has toured with such bands as They Might Be Giants, The Butchies, Third Eye Blind, Jeffrey Lewis, Daniel Johnston and Calvin Johnson.

• Mt. Eerie, formerly the Microphones, is the project of musician and performance artist Phil Elverum, who returned to Anacortes after five years of living and recording in Olympia. He promises pastoral mythology.

• Karl Blau is a recording artist from Anacortes whose flute, sax or drums can be heard on recordings by Mirah, Wolf Colonel, the Microphones and Little Wings. He has been touring and recording with Laura Veirs. With Phil Elverum and Bret Lunsford, he is one third of the band D+, which is also performing at the festival.

• Ô Paon, Geneviève Castreé’s current project, includes voice loops, guitars and dark and slow moving feelings.

• Khaela Maricich, aka the Blow, creates operatic performance pieces using the conversational style of popular music as well as traditional dance-party music.

• Tender Forever is the solo project of throbbing heart and head philosopher Melanie Valera, a native of Bordeaux, France. “Emotional pop” or “lo-fi R&B” are common labels that don’t communicate the complexity of the music.

• Oregon Donor’s literate, memorable songs, range from sweet indie pop to nearly raucous pop punk. Employing instruments as diverse as flute and drum machine, they create precious and catchy yet melancholic pop tunes.

• Angelo Spencer is a one-man band from Annecy, France. His bluesy guitar, raucous percussion and Pepe Le Pew charisma has won him an international following.

• Bryan, Frank and Bob offers Bryan’s country blues beautifully accompanied by longtime collaborators Frank Barcott and Bob Vaux.

• Calvin Johnson & Ian Svenonius, the political indie punk performers, DJs and longtime bicoastal collaborators, are back.

• LAKE is an Olympia six-piece with an incredible, beautiful sound.

• Mirah & Spectratone International present an insect-inspired song cycle, combining an epic scale and intimate tone

• Tender Forever is a solo band driven by throbbing heart and philosopher Melanie Valera.

• Vanessa Renwick is a cinematic rabble-rouser who explores the possibility of poetry in contemporary society

• The Gift Machine is a psychedelic, pop, experimental band that is mainly the vehicle for Dave Matthies’ slow jams, but over the years has featured Karl Blau, Phil Elverum, Nate Ashley, Alex Parrish, Lisa Jackson, Steve Moore and Jeremy Hadley.

• Lonely Forest takes pride in being the world’s loudest piano band. The soaring vocals, evocative lyrics and symphonic power-piano rock of John Van Deusen, as well as the pounding percussion and stellar backup vocals of Bradyn Krueger have made Lonely Forest an Anacortes hometown favorite.

Get tickets now for summer performances

• What the Heck Fest passes are sold out, but some tickets should be available at the door of the City Hall shows Friday and Saturday. There is also a free show Saturday at Causland Memorial Park. Visit http://www.whattheheckfest.com.

• Tickets for the Anacortes Arts Festival’s Concerts at the Port series July 26 to Aug. 2 are $15, except for Anna Schaad’s performance noon Monday, July 28, which is by donation. Tickets are available at the Arts Festival office, 505 O Ave., and at the door. Call 293-6211 or visit http://www.anacortesartsfestival.com.

• Tickets for the Anacortes Jazz Festival, Aug. 29 to Sept. 1, are available through TicketWeb at http://www.anacortes.org and at the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce office. Local online purchasers will be entered in a drawing for a gift basket of festival gear and performer CDs. See the entire lineup at http://www.anacortes.org.

• Admission to the Cap Sante Summer Concerts is free, but special seating is available to VIPs and sponsors. Call (425) 303-1848 or visit http://www.sagpro.com.