Event

Skamokawa Swamp Opera

Band leader Andrew Emlen, founded folk ensemble Willapa Hills, in 2003, running for 11 years, before the creation of Skamokawa Swamp Opera (SSO.) While Willapa Hills was predominantly folk, SSO veers into the uncharted territory of new wave rock covers produced acoustically, and genres on the other end of the spectrum. Band member Kyleen Austins classical opera chops, Jillian Rayes contemporary underground rock sensibilities, and the pop punk rhythms of drummer Erik Friend have dished out a smorgasbord of quirky lovable music, making SSO a household favorite on the banks of the Columbia. And to his great credit, post-pandemic, Emlen now leads SSO into further uncharted territories.

The band now features Andrew Emlen on cello, guitar, mandocello, banjo, and vocals; Kyleen Austin on guitar and vocals; Erik Friend on percussion, mandolin, and vocals; and Wren Hendricks on guitar and vocals. This band is known for their vocal harmonies and unique arrangements for guitar, cello, banjo, mandolin, percussion and voice.

No genre left unturned, well maybe a few theyve been a favorite act at the Finnish American Folk Festival of Naselle, and their performance history includes Oregons premier music festival, The Pickathon, and their tenure as house band for Portlands highly popular storytelling stage show, The Seven Deadly Sins. Youll hear many of their tunes on KMUN radio from their latest album release, Foxglove Streets, with tunes penned by all of the band members.

Friday, April 14, 7:30pm. Doors open 7pm. Full Bar. 16+ Please. Masks not required, but welcomed. Tickets will be held at the door. General Seating. KALA Performance Space is located at 1017 Marine Dr. in Astoria. 503.338.4878