Trapper Schoepp with Bear in the Forest
Doors 7PM / Show 8PM
Seated Show
$14ADV / $16DOS
On sale: July 16
“What’s most important to me is to be a link in the chain of folk singers before and after my time,” Trapper Schoepp says in light of his fifth album, Siren Songs. Recorded at Johnny Cash’s Cash Cabin in Hendersonville, TN, Trapper continues down the trail trod by his musical heroes. In 2019, the Milwaukee singer-songwriter published a long lost song with Bob Dylan called “On, Wisconsin” - making him the youngest musician to share a co-writing credit with the Nobel Prize laureate. The song led to a #1 trending article in Rolling Stone and over a hundred tour dates worldwide.
In fall 2025, Trapper will release his rawest work yet titled Osborne, which traces his path through addiction, recovery and chronic pain brought on by BMX accidents in his youth. Osborne lends its name from the unit Trapper was in at a Minnesota rehab facility and is also a nod to the songwriter's muse Ozzy, who attended the same facility.
Channeling Black Sabbath, Suicide, and Springsteen, this 11-track record coming via Blue Elan Records is wildly different than anything Trapper has done. Produced by pop polymath Mike Viola (Andrew Bird, Dawes) and multi-instrumentalist Tyler Chester (Madison Cunningham, Jackson Browne), Trapper feels like he’s found an honest voice in song and spirit through Osborne. Recorded in a California church basement, Trapper sings his truth against a backdrop of vintage drum machines, synths, and distorted guitars.
After having spent the last decade performing countless live dates and sharing stages with such like-minded Americana mainstays as The Wallflowers, The Jayhawks, Frank Turner and Old 97’s, Trapper will take to the road again with Osborne in 2025. Trapper will tour through Europe in October appearing at the legendary Take Root festival, as well as supporting artists in the USA ranging from punk rocker Laura Jane Grace to 70s hitmakers Three Dog Night. “This kind of music is a living, breathing artform that really comes to life when shared,” Trapper says. “I can’t wait to take these songs to the people.”
“Schoepp is ultimately a storyteller deeply rooted in folk music. His songs connect to the past, yet breathe freshness into the present, reflecting the themes of what it means to be human in a world made of narratives.”
Bear in the Forest is made up of Alberto “Bear” Kanost (guitar, vocals), Joe Poznik (percussion), and Ry Swaty (cello).
Hailing originally from New Orleans, LA, Bear currently resides in Madison, WI with his cat-son Osito (Spanish for “little bear”). Inspired and driven by music from a young age, Bear was fortunate to be accepted into the First Wave scholarship program at UW Madison. The training he received there combined with inspiration from artists such as Bon Iver and Hozier are just a couple of his driving forces as he works to create music rooted in personal experience and the trials and tribulations of the world around him.
Originally from Madison, WI, Joe brings dedication and passion that started when he was nine. He began his musical journey with traditional African drumming, later expanding into drumline and full drum kit. A founding member of the Black Star Drum Line, Joe’s foundation in precision and discipline continues to inform his approach. Influenced by James Brown, The Temptations, and Anderson .Paak, he has performed with a range of artists—including appearances with the Milwaukee Bucks and Madison’s own Joe B. Banks—while always keeping groove and versatility at the core of his sound.
Grown on a farm in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Ry grew up playing string duets with his brother in country bars and restaurants. Classical cello continued through college in the Keweenaw Symphony orchestra, including chamber groups and The Nutcracker ballet. A background in piano and inspirations such as 2Cellos make for a sound focused on depth and rhythm, while always listening and blending.