With dozens of musical events happening every week at Oberlin, deciding which ones to attend can often be a daunting task. While the Conservatory is known for its highly esteemed Classical, Jazz, and TIMARA departments, these areas of study certainly do not represent the full range of musical offerings available in and around Oberlin.
The burgeoning Folk and Bluegrass scene of the Great Lakes region has gained increasing recognition in recent years. Groups like The Henhouse Prowlers, Westbound Situation, and Hawktail have breathed new life into the scene through their innovative incorporation of Jazz, Contemporary Chamber Music, and other global influences. In addition, the cultural ties that Bluegrass and Folk have historically maintained with the American Midwest remain strong.
A spectacular opportunity to experience this growing scene has presented itself in the form of a performance by Warren & Flick, on the evening of Sunday, April 27. With Wakeman Ohio’s cozy Riverdog Retreat as the venue, attendees can expect a tranquil, intimate atmosphere well suited for this acoustic bass and fiddle duo. The music is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM and tickets can be found online. Another acoustic duo, The Allard Brothers, will be featured as the opening act.
Image of Grant Flick (left) and Jacob Warren (right) taken from the Riverdog Retreat website.
In addition to sharing a similar instrumentation, these two groups are connected through their performance history and strong involvement in the midwestern bluegrass community. In a recent interview, Max and Otto Allard provided insight into their upcoming show and some background about the headlining group.
Max explained that Grant Flick and Jacob Warren originally met at the 2015 Acoustic Music Seminar in Savannah, Georgia. Since then they have continued performing and composing as a duo and in other ensembles.
One such band, Westbound Situation, was an important predecessor of Warren & Flick. The former ensemble describes their music as “Chamber-Grass” — a blend of Bluegrass, Contemporary Chamber Music, and Jazz influences. When comparing the sound of Westbound Situation with their descendant, Otto said “There’s definitely some shared DNA but Warren & Flick make music that lends itself better to orchestral string instruments and performing in a duo setting.”
The brothers noted that Swedish folk music was another key influence for the headliner’s sound. Fiddle player Grant Flick has also been known to play Nyckelharpa, a Swedish instrument, and the brothers believe that this will be part of the instrumentation for the upcoming show. Additionally, recent social media posts indicate that the duo has been incorporating more Scandinavian-inspired, mixed-meter grooves into their repertoire.
Otto speculates that Swedish folk band Wäsen, which has recently drawn the attention of many American folk musicians, may be one of the motivations behind this fascination. Regardless of how this originated, it will be interesting to see how these new influences shape the group’s sound in their upcoming show.
Image Source: “White Rose Resistance Group – Family Members.” Blogspot, uploaded by Unknown, https://thecounterpoint.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cc0a5-wr-family2.jpg. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
While there is no way of telling what exactly is in store for Warren & Flick’s performance, there is no doubt that the ingenuity and passionate musicianship that these two duos embody will be worth far more than $22 price of admission.
thecounterpoint.org 
