Aaron Lee Kaplan EPK

Twisted Blues, Folk & Rock

Slide/Fingerstyle Guitarist & Singer/Songwriter

Aaron Lee Kaplan is a blues/folk guitarist and singer/songwriter from Marshfield, WI. He is known for playing resonator guitar and has been gaining a reputation throughout the Midwest for his slide and fingerstyle guitar playing and his humorous yet thought-provoking original songs. His music incorporates a wide variety of influences and has been described as Twisted Blues. When performing, Kaplan does a mix of originals and unique versions of familiar classic blues, rock and folk songs. 

Kaplan has been performing for over 20 years in a wide variety of genres, both as a solo artist and with various groups. He incorporates this experience and his diverse influences into an original style based in American Roots music yet progressive in scope that he calls Twisted Blues. He uses blues and folk music as a framework to experiment and play with the conventions of genre. He regularly employs dissonance and chromatic passages to create tension and humor in his music. As a lyricist, Kaplan is often philosophical and touches on deep themes such as mortality, identity, mental illness, addiction and the meaning of human experience. He uses dark humor, word play and at times abstract imagery to explore these themes in an original and deeply personal way. In September 2017, Kaplan released his EP Some Sunny Day. One of the songs from that EP, “It Is What It Is”, was included on the Wisconsin Roots Music Co-Op 2019 Compilation CD. He released his album Dairyland, a collection of original guitar instrumentals inspired by life in Wisconsin, in March 2020 and his latest album, Smiley's Blues, in December 2022. All his releases have received regional radio air play and been well received by audiences. He is currently performing throughout the Midwest and is in the process of recording a new album. 

Quotes

-“Aaron Lee Kaplan has been making waves throughout the Wisconsin music scene with his unique blend of traditional delta blues and his amazing slide guitar work.”-Revolution One Entertainment

-“An absolutely fabulous acoustic blues guitarist.”-HH Hinder Brewing Company, Waupaca, WI

-"Stop in and listen to this guy! Raspy but yet smooth vocals accompanied by his insane guitar skills."-Hoozels Bar,Wisconsin Rapids

-“It's been called ‘Twisted Blues.’ Aaron plays a mix of rock, blues and folk, liberally mixing covers and originals to put together an evening of acoustic guitar virtuosity, great songwriting - let's call it the Crooked Blues, shall we?”- Historic Trempealeau Hotel

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Aaron Lee Kaplan @ 2024 Blues Party

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Silver Dome Ballroom , W7670 US Highway 10 , Neillsville, WI

2024 BLUES PARTY featuring newly inducted National Blues Hall of Famers, LIL ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS, along with a new Blues supergroup, the BURNSIDE KIMBROUGH EXPERIENCE (including Duwayne, Garry and Kent Burnside, and Kinney and Robert Kimbrough, Sr.), and AARON LEE KAPLAN from the "Cooler Stage." Doors at 5 pm, music at 7, $25 admission. Free camping in surrounding lot.

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