Wednesday, September 9, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Sisters Folk Festival stays ‘Close to Home’
Kristen Grainger &True North
16
Sisters Folk Festival’s physically-distanced concert set for September 11-13
will feature performances by noted Pacific Northw
West Coast artists... sticking close to home.
Thunderstorm Artis
PHOTO PROVIDED
Jenner Fox Band
PHOTO BY NIKKI A. RAE
Caleb Klauder & Reeb Willms
PHOTO PROVIDED
PHOTO PROVIDED
Multi-instrumentalist, Grammy-award-
winning vocalist and songwriter Judith Hill
has garnered much praise for her live perfor-
mances as opener for the likes of her former
collaborator and mentor, the late great Prince,
and soul man John Legend, among many oth-
ers. (See related story, page 20).
John Craigie, considered a humorous sto-
ryteller, an accomplished lyricist, and yet a
serious songwriter, will return to Sisters fol-
lowing up his acclaimed 2020 release “Asterisk
the Universe.” (See related story, page 21.)
Thunderstorm Artis became a house-
hold name in 2020 performing on season
18 of “The Voice,” earning top three honors
and national recognition. Thunderstorm is a
singer/songwriter born on the North Shore of
Oahu and learned at a very young age to play
piano, guitar, harp and percussion from his
father, Ron Artis, and mother, Victoria.
Ron was a Motown session player who
played keyboards on Michael Jackson’s
“Thriller.” Victoria was also a member of the
Motown family, touring as a vocalist with
Lena Horne, and many other Motown greats.
Thunderstorm’s music crosses many genres
including folk, rock, soul and country. No
matter what Thunderstorm sings or writes,
he does it from his heart. Thunderstorm does
not consider his music as notes on a page but
rather a window into his heart. He believes
that through his music he can make our world
a better place by lifting the hearts of others.
Thunderstorm Artis performed at the 2019
Sisters Folk Festival.
AJ Lee and Blue Summit, a bluegrass band
led by singer, songwriter, and mandolinist, AJ
Lee, has been the darling of the North Bay,
California bluegrass scene since their first
appearance in Santa Cruz. Drawing from
influences such as swing, folk, blues, jazz,
country, soul, and rock, their undeniable talent
and insatiable passion for bluegrass hearkens
back to traditional classics while remaining
uniquely modern.
They’ve accrued many devout follow-
ers and distinctions including the Freshgrass
2019 Band Contest Winner, IBMA 2019
Momentum Vocalist of the Year, second place
at the 2019 Winfield Guitar Competition,
and numerous awards in northern California.
In 2019, AJ Lee and Blue Summit came out
with their debut album, “Like I Used To,”
which consists entirely of AJ’s original songs.
Bluegrass-leaning Americana quartet
Kristen Grainger & True North is a pow-
erhouse of award-winning original songs,
lush vocals, and crazy-good instrumental-
ists, Dan Wetzel (guitar), Josh Adkins (bass)
and Martin Stevens (fiddle, mandolin, octave
mandolin). On stage, the band delivers
Grainger’s storied songwriting with mind-
blowing vocal harmonies and mad instrument
skills of a band deeply rooted in folk and blue-
grass genres. Kristen Grainger’s songs have
won or been a finalist at some of the nation’s
most prestigious songwriting contests such
as Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Merlefest,
Kerrville Folk Festival and Wildflower! Art
& Music Festival. The band’s 2018 release,
“Open Road, Broken Heart,” debuted at No.
1 on the national folk charts and “Elsebound,”
released in 2014, spent 25 weeks in the top 10,
FRIDAY,
5-6 p.m.
6:15-7:15 p.m.
7:30-8:30
8:45-10 p.m.
SATURD
5-6 p.m.
6:15-7:15
7:30-8:30
8:45-10 p.m.
SUNDAY
12-1 p.m.
1:15-2:15
2:30-3:30
3:45-5:00
including a week at No
When Caleb Klaude
their honest incantation
of magical sparkle smo
and we can spin off into
and smiling. Caleb K
dynamic mandolin play
unwavering rhythm
a beautiful fabric aro
proves joyous, timeles
Waterville, Washington,
Reeb comes from a sa
ing family with a roug
ciation of simplicity an
and quiet poise that cut
Caleb comes from
Salish Sea in northwes
the windblown tall tre
burnished Klauder’s vo
breaking patina. The
a duo, and can also b
with the Foghorn Strin
Klauder Country Band.
Portland music scene a
their music around the