KHC Presents: Steve Dawson & Joachim Cooder

Steve Dawson brings decades of roots-driven musicianship to the stage. Canadian-born and Nashville-based, he first gained international recognition as half of the Juno Award-winning duo Zubot & Dawson before carving out a wide-ranging solo career. As a guitarist, producer, and recording engineer, Dawson has worked with artists such as Allison Russell, Kelly Joe Phelps, Joe Henry, Shelby Lynne, and Matt Andersen, while also building a reputation for his deeply expressive slide, lap steel, and fingerstyle guitar work. His music draws from blues, folk, country, and global roots traditions, always grounded in feel, tone, and human connection.

Joachim Cooder’s musical path has been just as adventurous. Raised on the road alongside his father, legendary guitarist Ry Cooder, Joachim began playing drums at an early age and went on to contribute to iconic recordings including Buena Vista Social Club and the Grammy-winning A Meeting by the River. Over the years he’s become a sought-after percussionist, composer, and producer, while also developing a distinctive solo voice centered around the electric mbira (a modern take on the African thumb piano), paired with layered percussion and atmospheric textures.

In Joachim’s hands, rhythm becomes melody, and in Steve’s, strings become storytelling tools. Together, they create a space where structure meets spontaneity where songs can stretch, shift, and breathe. This tour isn’t about polished perfection; it’s about shared energy, real-time creativity, and the magic that happens when two seasoned musicians meet in the middle of the music. Each night is a one-of-a-kind experience - equal parts roots, rhythm, and revelation.

The Eisenhauers

The Eisenhauers are a married folk duo from Kimberley, BC. Their songs blend traditional alt-country with modern folk with new innovation and depth. Recording and performing music is an inherently vulnerable act. When the songs are deeply personal, written during the hardest days of a musician’s life, sharing them with the world becomes an act of absolute self-exposure. This is the nature of The Eisenhauers’ sophomore record, Back Burner, as it maps a couple's journey to the brink of ending it all, and then back towards love once again.