Belly Meat
200 Years of Making Music
At the center of Sitka’s vibrant music scene, three men carry a sound as local as the tide and as timeless as a good story. Belly Meat, the trio of Ted Howard, Ernie Eggleston, and Gary Gouker, has been playing together for about 15 years. They blend blues, rock and roll, and folk with Southeast Alaska humor to make a uniquely homegrown sound.
Originally a four-piece group with fellow musician Lee Asnin, their backstory is pure Sitka. The group had been jamming for a while, with an early gig at the wedding of two local veterinarians, Burgess Bauder and Vicky Vosburg.
”Vicky presented us with a pennant that read, ‘To Belly Meat, as a token of affection,’” says Ted. ”The name came about when Lee and Gary found they were both poaching the belly meat from the grill before it was served to the table.” Somewhere between wedding toasts and dancing, instruments came out, a few songs were traded, and a band was born. The name stuck, a nod to a group whose sound is a local delicacy, rich and flavorful like salmon belly.
The three men have a well-honed and respectful process grounded in trust, laughter and shared rhythm.
The band has been built on friendship and the line-up has evolved over time. Asnin moved away several years ago but still visits Sitka and plays with Ted, Ernie, and Gary when he comes to town. Between them, the trio brings 200 years of musical experience to every stage they step onto.
Ted, who plays guitar and mandolin, met Gary soon after moving to Sitka. “I kept hearing a band practicing across the street. Same tune, again and again, never quite landing,” jokes Ted. Curiosity and a musician’s instinct got the better of him. “I walked across the street to introduce myself and see if I could possibly help out.” Ted met Gary, known for his soulful harmonica with the band Three-Legged Dog, and a long friendship ensued. “But we never did get that tune right,” adds Gary.
The impromptu meeting set the stage for their partnership. Ted played with Three-Legged Dog off and on along with their regular guitarist, Sitka private investigator John Straley. When Straley had to travel out of town to assist in the Exxon Valdez investigation and an arson case in Ketchikan, Ted was invited to become a full-time member of the group.
“I kept hearing a band practicing across the street. Same tune, again and again, never quite landing.”
Bassist Ernie Eggleston adds another Alaskan thread. A fisherman by trade, he spent years playing in the small community of Pelican. “I began on guitar but switched to upright bass when the arthritis in my hands interfered with playing,” recalls Ernie. “When I moved to Sitka in the early 2000s and met Ted, Gary and Lee, the chemistry was instant! What I love about this group is that we all speak the same language - music.”
Belly Meat practices a kind of musical democracy. They rotate who sings lead and everyone brings in material. That balance keeps their shows alive. Their repertoire is impressive, about 160 different songs. “We could play three or four hours without ever repeating a tune,” Gary says with a grin.
Somewhere between wedding toasts and dancing, instruments came out, a few songs were traded, and a band was born. The name stuck, a nod to a group whose sound is a local delicacy, rich and flavorful like salmon belly.
While their sound leans bluesy with rock and roll beats, the heart of Belly Meat lies in their storytelling. Their original compositions, often written over borrowed melodies, reflect the rhythm of local life: “My Xtratufs Don’t Fit Me Anymore,” “Can’t Get Across Town,” and the tender “Cool Breeze,” which Ted wrote for his wife, Julie. Their songs capture the essence of living, laughing and loving in Southeast Alaska.
Talking with Belly Meat is similar to watching their songs come to life. One person starts to answer a question, another jumps in and adds to it, with the third giving a complete picture.
“We were recently asked to write a song honoring a local Sitkan,” explains Ted. “I had a few lyrics and a general sound in mind. Then Gary and Ernie jumped in with musical notes and ideas.”
The three men have a well-honed and respectful process grounded in trust, laughter and shared rhythm.
Belly Meat practices a kind of musical democracy. They rotate who sings lead and everyone brings in material. That balance keeps their shows alive.
For the trio, music is about being fully present - that shared pulse between player and listener. They perform regularly around Sitka, and have also traveled to Juneau for the Alaska Folk Festival, to Haines for the Southeast Alaska State Fair and even to Astoria, Oregon for the FisherPoets Gathering. "Regardless of the venue, the ultimate compliment is when people get up and dance. That’s how we know we’ve done our job,” says Ted.
This winter, Belly Meat will keep the beat alive at local favorites like the Sitka Monthly Grind and the Coldwater Bar & Grill. Whether they’re playing under the Net Shed or in a packed hall, their music remains what it’s always been - three friends sharing stories of the place they call home.
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