Photonz

Photonz (also styled The Photonz, and earlier The Photons) is a jam band that came together in 1997 after its members met at Max's, a bar in the ski town of Girdwood, Alaska. Historically a five-piece, the group blended jam-band improvisation with bluegrass, folk rock, and funk, and became a fixture of the Girdwood scene, playing local rooms such as the Sitzmark. Founding member Steve Norwood (rhythm guitar, drums) and bassist Tony Restivo are among its longtime members.

The band toured widely within the state; a live album was drawn from performances on a roughly 2,000-mile Alaska tour, and its tracks included 'Cosmic Party' and 'Space Tornado.' The original lineup performed regularly through at least the late 2010s. In recent years, members have carried the material forward under a revival project called Cosmic Party, which stages the band's songs in Girdwood venues such as Raw Market.