Easyfolk Fest 2026
Be a part of
easyfolk fest
Fest SCHEDULE
Discover what’s on deck for each showcase —or grab a 2-Day Pass and experience all seven soul-stirring performances
Friday
EVENING Showcase
EVENING Showcase
Portland, ORe.
Rebecca McDade has an almost uncanny ability to tug at the threads of reality, handling the mundane and the miraculous with equal love and care, and weaving together songs that make you feel seen. Each one arrives fresh, as if manifesting in real time with a delicate confidence. Her expert fingerpicking, virtuosic lyricism, and honeyed vocals instill listeners with that same confidence, as though artist and listener have found each other deep in a wild forest, far from the rest of the world and yet entirely at home.
Playing: Friday, Sept 18 · 7:00 PM
Portland, ORe.
When it comes to raw honesty, Liney Blu doesn't flinch; she kicks the door open. With bone-rattling vocals and a presence that fills every corner of the room, she pulls back the veil and lays the full enormity of her experience bare, daring you to come closer and connect with the beautiful grit that moved her to write. Her fierce vulnerability might leave you feeling just as exposed — but that's the point. Right when the intensity peaks, her compassion breaks through and wraps around you like a homecoming, and you realize you were never standing out there alone.
Playing: Friday, Sept 18 · 8:00 PM
Portland, ORe.
Picture, for a moment, that it's late afternoon. You're sitting before an old fireplace, whiskey in hand, the air alive with the scent of well-loved books, worn leather boots, and a rich autumn breeze. And there in your ears — quite possibly in your heart — is the bittersweet, cinematic, soulful music of Jason Lenyer Buchanan. His rich baritone has more than a few stories to tell, and while they may not be the ones you expected, they might just turn out to be the ones you needed.
Playing: Friday, Sept 18 · 9:00 PM
Location: Portland, OR
Not all truths are easy to hear, but if you're ever given the chance to hear one from Mitch Whitaker, take it. With exquisite vocal clarity and an unerring belief that there is more good than evil in this world, Mitch seems to have a direct line to the source of the human condition. That spiritual and intellectual gravitas is made all the more profound by his whimsical, sometimes downright funny approach to writing. With every song, he adds texture, nuance, and depth to the collective consciousness, and to hear him is an experience to treasure.
Playing: Saturday, Sept 19 · 6:00 PM
Essie Humberston, Paul Danowski, Jaxx Ward, Paul Danowski
Portland, ORe.
It's okay to dive recklessly into the beautifully haunting soundscapes of Essie & The Hum. With tender power, they'll catch you and carry you ever deeper into their cosmic hum, Essie's ethereal voice there to guide the way. Moving as a single unit, this four-piece bends the fabric of sound, space, and time to build a resonant world entirely their own — one where listeners can take their time exploring, uncovering, and settling into its peaceful fluidity. Give in to the drift; you're in careful hands.
Playing: Saturday, Sept 19 · 7:00 PM
Portland, ORe.
If you've ever wondered what the musical equivalent of eating Pop Rocks might be, Kenzy Peach is it. Her music starts sweet, with honeybutter vocals and a presence oozing with star quality, but the moment it hits your tongue, you're stung by its raw, uncensored honesty, and even that feels pretty damn good. One moment you're cackling at her willingness to say what we're all thinking; the next you're swaying with your arms around your friends, singing along to a blissfully tragic ballad — only to bounce right back with a danceable bop that screams "iconic" (and sometimes just screams). Like that sugary candy we couldn't get enough of as kids, Kenzy Peach is truly explosive.
Playing: Saturday, Sept 19 · 8:00 PM
Inés Paulina Ramírez
Portland, ORe.
Idea the Artist may be the most aptly named musician out there, because Art, with a capital A, is exactly what she creates, and there's no questioning the depth or freedom of her ideas. With an ethereal voice, sonic prowess, and immersive arrangements, she mesmerizes listeners and sends their imaginations soaring. Unconfined by genre, her music carries a sophisticated whimsy that seems to have traveled to our ears from another world, and it feels entirely possible that, by opening ourselves to it, we just might be transported there too.
Playing: Saturday, Sept 19 · 9:00 PM
a note from our founder
Hey y'all,
I'm so excited to welcome you to Easyfolk Fest! What began as a love letter to this city's independent music community has grown into something I could never have built alone. And this third year feels like the biggest step yet as we move downtown to the Dolores Winningstad Theatre and step into a new chapter as a non-profit. This new status affirms the heart this organization has always had — a genuine, lasting commitment to independent artists and the community that gathers around them.
Thank you for being a part of what we're building. Whether this is your third Fest or your very first, I'm so glad you found us.
See you in September, it's going to be magical.
- Joe Sanchez
founder and host of easyfolk fest
