Hands On
creativity, collaboration, community
About Kate & Steve
Within a year of each other in 1977-1978, long before they ever met, Kate Power and Steve Einhorn headed west with guitars-in-hand on a quest west to find the Pacific Northwest folk frontier far from where they started out in Washington Square, Greenwich Village, NYC in the 1960’s. Artichoke Music countered Israel Young’s Folklore Center on MacDougal Street with the Portland version found in a tiny musical instrument shop, in those days on NW 21 and Irving. Since 1973 Artichoke Music was central to the acoustic music scene in Portland. No one would have predicted back then that Steve would buy the shop in 1981, or that Kate would join him years later to grow Artichoke Music as the world renowned performance venue, music school, and instrument shop that it grew into before moving on.
Creative collaborators, the Ukalaliens Songbook for Absolute Beginners brought their combined genius of art, music and design to teach the uninitiated in the quickest, kindest way possible and made it fun to learn and begin to play without borders or fear. The Ukalaliens Songbook became a turning point for countless not-yet-musicians to become musical. Since then, thousands of players have learned their first chords from Kate & Steve’s uke manifest and carried it on. Deepest thanks to Happy & Jane Traum at Homespun Tapes, Mike Upton at Kala Brand Ukulele, and all the guardians along the way who supported Steve & Kate’s music mission from the start, and joined their mission to create in an instant inclusive approach to the joy of making music and singing songs on uke.
Kate & Steve’s combined adventure is filled with stories and shared stages with folk luminaries, mentors and friends. They’ve been heard by millions on Garrison Keillor's radio show "A Prairie Home Companion". An iconic panel of judges voted unanimously to award Kate’s timeless anthem, Travis John the grand prize at the Kerrville Folk Festival deemed by Music to Life to be a “song that makes a difference”. Kate and Steve’s call to music, art, writing and social action has become a part of the story that continues to unfold.
AS SEEN IN
“Music is more sacred than ever…'“ - Kate Power
Kate & Steve have released a dozen albums of original and traditional music to date and contributed to countless celebrated music projects. All while helping “keep Portland weird.”
Kate was unanimously awarded the Grand Prize at the Kerrville Folk Festival for her song for her neighbor, 'Travis John', by an A-list panel of folk luminaries including Peter, Paul & Mary and Judy Collins.
In a joyful stunt still talked about over Portland cafe tables, they set the Guinness World Record by playing a song with The World’s Largest Guitar Band playing one song in 90-degree heat in Pioneer Courthouse Square downtown, and raised $10,000 for Sisters of the Road Café to help feed the hungry in old town Portland with compassion, dignity and nourishment..
About their decades owning Artichoke Music, Steve says “It was a blast being there. It was the gateway for the tribe. It was the love of music that we all had. Every day was romantic, and it brought in heritage, culture and kids.”
Kate & Steve continue to build community through music, art, writing and teaching,
Playing on stage to launch Portland Romance, their ninth album which includes Vocal Cut of the Year 2017 Paddy's Lament.
Our first livestream concert in isolation in Portland
400 empty seats, a camera and a microphone…
"Kate & Steve are a tour de force in folk. Wonderful songs!"
— Tom Paxton
What more people are saying about Kate & Steve...
"So earthy and fresh is your music. I love it." - Lloyd "Tommy" Doss, Sons of the Pioneers
"Your music is wonderful! I love your harmonies. Keep on!" - Pete Seeger
"Steve & Kate are the Roy & Dale of folk." - Mary Flower
"Exquisite." - Eric Andersen
"You guys are the best - the absolute best." - Dave Carter
"Nice harmonies!" - Arlo Guthrie
Early Days…
Boston born songwriter, Kate Power was invited into the folk fold on and off stage, in and outside NYC coffeehouses and festivals during the folk revival in the mid-1960’s. With little more than a Whole Earth Catalog and her guitar, Kate arrived in Portland, Oregon on the fourth of July, 1977 and found her way to Artichoke Music two weeks later. The rest is history.
NYC born guitarist and singer, Steve Einhorn was onstage at fifteen at the Bitter End in 1965 Appalachian Philharmonic Jugband, then Boston bluegrass ensemble Foxfire before going west to Portland, Oregon in 1978 and owner at Artichoke Music 1981-2007 with countless gigs and stories in between.
