Klamath Folk Festival

Despite their brotherhood, Aaron and Phil Reed didn’t start playing music together until a few years ago, when Phil left their hometown of St. Charles, Missouri to join Aaron in the unsullied mountains of the American Northwest. Incorporating harmonica and percussion into their live performances, the duo will occasionally add guest performers, to sooth your soul with songs that are familiar yet original.

Whether they are finger picking their way through a lamentable ballad or bringing you around full-speed with a barn-burning bluegrass number, The Brothers Reed are masters of their craft. Their blend of folk encapsulates the grit and humor of Midwest life with the swagger and serenity of the West Coast. Their style evokes finger picking folk singers of the 60’s and 70’s with a contemporary and boundless edge. Cultivated from years of performing in bands ranging from heavy metal to reggae and rock, to punk, country, and funk, their musical dichotomy is at the root of their diverse yet seamless folk brand. With comedic brotherly banter, impeccable harmonic expression, and widely varying influences, The Brothers Reed will have you reflecting on lost lives and lovers and laughing hysterically, leaving you completely entertained.

With an exhaustive performance schedule sometimes nearing 300 shows per year, The Brothers Reed have quickly risen to regional renown and tour extensively throughout the U.S. With four studio albums under their belts (“Sick As Folk,” 2015; “Monster In My Head,” 2016; “Three,” 2018; and “Caught in a Dream” 2019), The Bros show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. A new album released May 6th, along with a collaborative brew with Pelican Brewing named after them, “Reeddankulous IPA.”

The three-piece is comprised of brother-sister duo Tristan (cello) and Tashina Clarridge-Lindley (fiddle) and Simon Chrisman (hammer dulcimer). Together, they weave a tapestry of sound all their own, drawing on roots in bluegrass, Celtic, jazz, Baroque, and old-time folk music traditions.

The Clarridges are both Grand National Fiddle Champions. Tashina has toured with Mark O’Connor, Tony Trischka, Laurie Lewis, and performed at Carnegie Hall. Tristan is a multi-instrumentalist who has toured internationally with a number of folk and bluegrass artists, including: Crooked Still, Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings, Mike Marshall, Bruce Molsky, and Natalie MacMaster. Meanwhile, Simon’s hammer dulcimer work and technique have been redefining the instrument to players around the world.

Since their 2008 formation, The Bee Eaters have collaborated with numerous artists, including Grammy winner Sean Watkins, and performed at festivals such as Wintergrass and the 40^th Annual Indiana Fiddlers Gathering. Collectively, The Bee Eaters have taught hundreds of lessons and workshops, including university engagements at Berklee College of Music, the University of Victoria, and Humboldt State University. The Clarridges are also co-founders of the Shasta Music Summit. The event unites music masterminds with performers of all ages and skill levels for a series of workshops and all-star concerts exploring the connections between music traditions of the world in a holistic environment.

Originally from upstate New York, and recently a transplant to the Klamath area, Arthur's one-man band of self-branded savage folk is an experience not to be missed! The music is an engrossing fusion crisscrossing the gritty sounds of the desert, fueling a sense of a once Wild West meeting Middle-Eastern mystics and gypsy travelers along the way. It is driving and edgy, yet deeply contemplative and connective to many of the landscapes that nurtured a given song’s inspiration.

Since Arthur’s 2021 move to our region, he has quickly become both a powerful and beloved presence, a welcomed force with which to be reckoned. His folk meets grunge meets western nostalgia has been winning over Northwest audiences of all ages and many musical inclinations, over the course of his rigorous touring schedule. So, come tap your foot; bang your head; and/or, let your hair blow freely in the wind. An Arthur Buezo performance is the immersive journey for which your inner free spirit has been waiting!

Hailing from where Bigfoot shies away in the woods by way of a small town in Oregon, well we call it “Klamath Falls,” is a local celebrity in his own right come to tell a story, bringing you along for the ride. Born and raised in a tribal community devastated by alcohol and drug abuse, Henry Rondeau uses the power of music and his tradition’s values to break the chains of historical trauma afflicting countless Indigenous people.

A man of many talents, Henry’s musical breadth covers hip-hop, flute, traditional songs, and contemporary powwow singing. He is also an avid cultural dancer, traveling the powwow circuit when possible. Though not fully raised in the lifestyle, Henry committed to dancing and singing in his teen years. He lives by the quote: "When you sing, you sing hard, and you sing from the heart. When you dance, you dance hard, and you dance for those that can't."

With the help of a relative, Henry would reach past limits he never knew he could, helping form Warrior Society Drum in 2015. Recognizing the knowledge of his elders slowly disappearing as they began to make their journeys, and witnessing reluctance in youth to understand traditions, Henry’s mission became to learn what he can and pass it down to the next generation. “Being a singer comes with the biggest responsibility, to sing for the people when called upon. It is an incredible honor when called upon for such an occasion; and along with relatives from Warrior Society, that responsibility comes like second nature,” Rondeau states. Rondeau and his Warrior Society have answered such calls for community events, funerals, weddings, and ceremonies alike. Henry's love for singing has also given him the opportunity to travel the world, including to every US state, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and Australia.