It was during the pandemic that Olive Klug first started sharing their songs online. Over the last six years they’ve brought their introspective folk to larger and larger stages, including the Cedar Cultural Center here in Minneapolis. 

This was their first show after playing the Winnipeg Folk Festival the week prior. That afternoon, they brought their guitar and banjo up to studio K for a short session and interview on-air. 

The night started with local support from Annie xo and Ducksmithson. Annie xo, who typically plays with a full band, delivered an intimate duo performance with acoustic guitar and upright bass. Ducksmithson AKA Jude is a recent transplant to the Twin Cities, and they performed a set of gorgeously stripped down bedroom-style folk. 

Performing live there’s a fair bit of folk-punk energy in Olive’s performance. They spent the night stomping out floor percussion and encouraging the crowd to elbow their neighbors dancing in the seated audience. When they switched from guitar to banjo, they brought out another local artist, Sadie Gustafson-Zook to play fiddle on the bewitching tune Honeysuckle. Another highlight was their cover of I Don’t Want Your Millions, an Appalachian folk song from the 1930s popularized by Pete Seeger’s Almanac singers. 

Show Review: Elvy Ruchie