Yaelokre Weaves Story and Song in San Francisco

Yaelokre takes San Francisco’s The Independent for not one but two sold out shows on the same night. With no opening acts, the folk artist took the focus of the evening. Keep reading to hear our thoughts about the performance…

“I heard you wanted a story,” Yaelokre, aka Keath Ósk, commands after joining the stage. They plucked their instrument and fell into song after a fanfare commenced. The instrument– a custom baritone guitalele, according to their Reddit— takes precedence as the main instrument other than cascading vocals. The rest? Fans who harmonize in tune and who stomp their bell-covered feet. The result was an experience much like a gathering in a forest for song and dance.

As Keath moved and played on stage, a puff of glitter floated along with them. “This has been so much fun,” they said throughout the night. Other than that, any words that were said were a part of the story they were telling. If you are new to Yaelokre and their music, check out a little of the lore behind their work; there’s a lot to unpack.

First, Keath introduced the four Larks: four masked children named Cole, Clementine, Peregrine, and Kingsley who each represent a different “Harker” in a mythical fairytale. Cole is “the Storyteller,” Clementine is “the Bell-ringer,” Peregrine is “the Enkindled,” and Kingsley is “the Croon.” From there, Keath sung more tales about the world they lived in, called Meadowlark, while creating parallels to the real world and life experiences.

A surprising fan-favorite was “Kamahalan,” (your majesty in Tagalog). Keath shared the meaning of the song, how it connected to them and their origin, and eagerly asked for people to do their best in singing along; many did so beautifully.

“Kamahalan” seemed to be the crowning purpose for Keath’s project. A large part of their audience is still young; but for those who are old enough to understand, we lose sense of our childlike nature, our wonder for the world. Yaelokre seems to nod to leaning back into that childlike wonder as the world tries to tear it out of us; for us to rekindle our imaginations and to know our true power in it. In the stories they weave, they do so themselves, and create an avenue for anyone who listens to lean into their childlike self, and to let it rule a little while. There’s hope in it. There’s joy in it. And there’s a future.

Keath takes a pause to reflect on this and more near the end of their set. Here’s a snippet of what they had to say:

I want to thank the parents who came and supported their children and their interests. I hope that you are proud of how talented and kind they are.

Stay tuned for updates on Yaelokre, and don’t miss the magic of seeing them live; grab tickets here.