Ian George

Born and raised in the deciduous forests of Minnesota, Ian George’s musical expression (both on and off the stage) reflects the ephemeral seasonal landscape he was bred in.

A frisky and flamboyantly charismatic whipper-snapper of a young man (occasionally flaunting an enormously overgrown orange beard), Ian is really just a simple folk troubadour who takes great fancy in the occasional rock-out. For a decade Ian has been writing and singing songs for a handful of bands ever since the pivotal moment of being mangled and tasered by three brutally aggressive Eugene, Oregon police officers. After leaving the front-lines of activism behind, he turned to homesteading and music as a form of activism. "I believe in music and stories, I believe they change people’s minds, therefore the world," says Ian, often. Ian is somewhat frighteningly slender (openly vocalized mostly by his mother) and enjoys performing shoe-less and sweater-full. The crowds really enjoy his ballerina-frolic-through-the-kitchen-adorned-with-nothing-but-his-daughter's-tutu-song/story. If Ian was good enough and could make enough money playing as an Irish fiddler, he would.. But since he's not (not yet) he instead frontiers the Contemporary-Art-Folk-Rock-Music world, happily. He along with his gorgeous band of talented handsome young men (percussion, electric guitar, upright bass) deliver the sort of concert you’ll dance, sway, sing, laugh and probably cry too. The live performance is an experimental and emotional ride teeming with whimsicality, clever arrangements - interrupted by triumphant tangents - and outlandish solos grounded by George’s emotive and gauzy voice and by the simple strength of a good song. Expect an engaging and dynamic string of gentle and not so gentle folk-rock adventures.

George has founded and led a handful of bands; touring extensively through the US, Canada, and Europe and gracing some of the western world's most beloved festivals and venues. In the summer of 2018 Ian performed his debut set at the Cambridge Folk Festival in Cambridge, England. In 2019, Ian released his debut solo album Kingdom of My Youth - recorded in Paris, France at famed Labo M Studios. The album charted on the national NACC Folk charts 7 consecutive weeks. Ian’s most recent release Post-Corona* was shortlisted at WXPN’s 2021 Non-Comm Convention as top 10 songs of the year to consider. Ian currently resides in Oregon.

The Upstairs Lounge is a licensed restaurant and bar, doors open at 6 pm for dinner service, the concert starts at 7:30 pm

Please note this is a LISTENING VENUE