Dadweed, sure to grow on you

Dadweed doesn’t seem particularly interested in staying inside bluegrass’ traditional boundaries.

The Portland acoustic trio will bring its blend of bluegrass, jazz, folk, pop and R&B to Newport this Sunday, Sept. 27, for a KYAQ concert at the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center.

Featuring Clayton Eiberg on acoustic guitar and vocals, Ian Lindsay on bass and vocals and Keenan Dorn on acoustic guitar and vocals, Dadweed combines three-part harmonies and instrumental interplay with a musical approach ranging from fast, hard-driving bluegrass to slow, heartfelt Americana.

The band traces its beginnings to an all-night jam beneath a willow tree at the 2022 McKenzie River Jamfest. The musicians made the group official the following spring and have since appeared at venues and events including Mississippi Studios, Bridgetown Bluegrass Festival and the Oregon Country Fair Main Stage.

Even the name Dadweed reflects the trio’s resistance to being pinned down musically.

“You'll honestly get three different answers from each of us,” Dorn said.

But for him, the name captures the band’s appreciation for both ends of the musical spectrum.

“We didn't wanna get stuck in one corner of the greater folk music tradition,” he said. “We want to provide a lil’ bit of something for everyone!”

That approach can mean high-energy bluegrass one moment and a slow waltz the next, with the trio drawing freely from other styles rather than treating bluegrass as a set of rigid boundaries.

Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

Sunday’s concert begins at 7 pm at the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center, located at 333 SE Bay Blvd. in Newport. For more information or tickets, go to kyaq.org.