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The Wild Reeds bring indie folk rock to State Bridge on Friday, Sept. 11

Caramie Schnell
Special to the Daily
The Wild Reeds will be performing at State Bridge Riverside Amphitheater on Friday, Sept. 11. Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door. The music starts at 7:30 p.m. Visit www.statebridge.com.
Special to the Daily |

If you go ...

Who: The Wild Reeds. Boozegrass will open the show.

Where: State Bridge Riverside Amphitheater, Bond.

When: Friday. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and music starts at 8 p.m.

Cost: $5 in advance, $10 at the door. Camping is $10 per car, plus $10 per person, and is good for the weekend, including Saturday’s show with David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, the Jeff Austin Band and Caribou Mountain Collective. Tickets for that show are $30 in advance or $35 at the door.

More information: Visit http://www.statebridge.com, or call 970-653-4444.

Los Angeles-based band The Wild Reeds is busy preparing for a showcase at the upcoming Americana Music Awards, slated for Thursday in Nashville, Tennessee, but before that, local music lovers will have a chance to see the band perform an intimate show at State Bridge Riverside Amphitheater tonight. The evening show marks the first time the five-member indie folk rock band has performed at State Bridge.

“The Wild Reeds come from the Southern California collection of young, rootsy, vocal-oriented bands that have brought us Fishtank Ensemble, Leftover Cuties and Dustbowl Revival the last couple of years,” said State Bridge owner Doug Moog. “We can expect really high-quality songcraft and performance. Boozegrass is back for the third time in the last few months and provide an energetic, fun acoustic opening to the evening.”

Anchored by Kinsey Lee, Sharon Silva and Mackenzie Howe, the band got its start in 2010 as a three-part harmony girl group. The women were just 19 years old when they started performing together. They morphed into a five-piece three years ago, with the addition of Nick Jones, who contributes drums and percussion, and bassist Nick Phakpiseth.



The band pairs driving rhythms and poetic lyrics with powerful, soaring harmonies that pull you in immediately.

“We used to joke that our music is ‘heavy folk,’ but it’s honestly one of the best ways to describe what we play. It’s heartfelt, honest and ties together Americana and folk elements,” Howe said.

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In between touring, the band has been in the studio as much as possible to record a follow-up album to its 2014 formal debut, “Blind and Brave,” Howe said. She describes that album as a “coming of age” record, filled with heartfelt lyrics about everything from self-discovery to love. The songs are quite poetic, like the chorus from “Of All the Dreams”:

“Of all the things I could be/ I want to be with you.

Of all the dreams I could dream/ I want to dream of you.”

The next album will reflect the band’s myriad personal and professional growth, Howe said. Speaking of change, the group officially dropped the safety net.

“We recently quit our day jobs to pursue music full time, so it’s an exciting stage of our lives,” Howe said. “We are also looking forward to the AMAs this month and The Bluegrass Situation Festival in October.”

Caramie Schnell is a freelance writer who was contracted by State Bridge to write this story.


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