It’s been awhile since I’ve focused on a show at Le Voyeur in Olympia — I mean really focused — and that’s just wrong. For a long time those in charge of booking music at the tiny DIY club in our capital city have consistently brought the most eclectic mix of indie goodness you’re likely to find anywhere — and maybe, just for a moment, I started to take it for granted.

That’s a mistake on my part for sure — and on yours if you’ve fallen similarly victim. 

Let’s make amends this week.

Friday, Nov. 21, Portland’s Insomniac Folklore — which, in essence, is a constantly fluctuating musical entity created and shepherded by present day acoustic troubadour Tyler Hentschel — will headline an evening of off-the-beaten-path goodness that also includes Nutmeg and Christopher Stewart.

It’s a diverse bill, and a good one — both qualities emblematic of what Le Voyeur has come to stand for.

With a long musical background to draw on, Hentschel and his now aging baby Insomniac Folklore jump into odd and often emotional musical depths, but they do so in a way that — amazingly — remains easily accessible and un-draining — often managing to find humor and (more powerful) connection in the least expected of places. It’s a project of honesty, and in this day and age — especially with Hentschel’s knack for melody and unique vocal styling as the proverbial icing on the cake — honesty goes a long way.

You know that old saying about wearing your heart on your sleeve? It was meant for bands like

Insomniac Folklore.

“Insomniac Folklore is in a more or less constant state of flux. It has been everything from just me (playing) solo all the way to me and nine other people on stage. This is a project that is more about friendship than anything. I do write pretty much all of the songs, but I want it to still feel collaborative,” says Hentschel. “I want every individual involved with Insomniac Folklore to be able to bring a bit of their own personality into the mix. I just want people I care about to be involved in what I do. This has helped keep this band very exciting to me in that I myself never know exactly what to expect from show to show. It could end up being very concise and/or very chaotic — or anywhere in the middle.”

 

Concise, chaotic and also fairly productive, it would seem. Over the course of the last decade Hentschel has completed four full-length records and two EPs, the latest of which is a split effort with the Gray Fox on Return Records. 

And there’s plenty more in the works. According to Hentschel, you can expect Insomniac Folklore’s next record to be “very random,” and that’s just for starters.

“The next album I’m working on will be self-released in the late spring. It will have new recordings, b-sides and some live material as well. As far as the sound of the album, it will cover everything from indie-folk to death metal ... who knows maybe even some hip-hop,” says Hentschel. “After that is completed I’m going to start work on what I hope will be a masterpiece of a record — a more serious record with a more consistent sound. I’m excited about both and both will feature several of my good friends playing on them.”

So what can those in Olympia who’ve never experienced Insomniac Folklore expect from Friday’s show at Le Voyeur, and what is Hentschel expecting from Olympia in turn?

“I have played in Olympia several different times and have had very different experiences each time. Some were very warm and receptive, some seemed somewhat cold or confused with what I was doing,” explains Hentschel. “But those responses have been true for many towns I have visited.

“In Portland we tend to play as a full band. On tour we are generally two to three people, or sometimes just me solo,” continues Hentschel. “At Le Voyeur you can expect me to sing, play guitar, dance and maybe scream a bit. I will be joined with my friend Ayden Simonatti on drums. You can expect surprises.”

There you have it. Expect surprises and good, honest music from Tyler Hentschel and Insomniac Folklore on Friday. This is a show that’ll be hard to beat. 

[Le Voyeur, Insomniac Folklore, Nutmeg, Christopher Stewart, Friday, Nov. 21, 10 p.m., no cover, 404 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.943.5710]