Ravinia 2023 Issue 5

NATE RYAN THE FOREST AND THE TREES Writing the full story is in the Okee Dokee Brothers’ nature BYWEBBEHRENS TECHNICALLY , the band name “The Okee Dokee Brothers” is a fib. But like all good fiction, it actually tells the truth. ¶ Colorado natives Justin Lansing and Joe Mailander met each other when they were just 3 years old. Soon enough, they attended the same school, went camping together in the Rockies as kids, and learned how to play guitar together as teens. Over time, the pair became fami- ly—chosen brothers whose relationship grew into a Grammy-winning music ca- reer. ¶ That big award came in 2013, when Can You Canoe? was named the Best Children’s Album. With Mailander on acoustic guitar and Lansing on banjo, the two strum and harmonize with a verve that pleases adult ears too. The duo describe their bluegrass-infused songwriting with this catchy phrase: “Folk songs for folks of all ages.” ¶ That motto explains why, six albums and a decade-plus into their music career, they’ve built a loyal fanbase across generations. Their lyr- ically clever tunes provide the perfect antidote to the mind-numbing repetition of “Baby Shark” or Barney’s “I Love You.” Can the Okee Dokee Brothers craft a catchy earworm? Yes indeed, but nobody’s going to be banging their heads in frustration from listening to “Lighten Your Load,” “Campin’ Tent,” or “Jackalope.” RAVINIA MAGAZINE • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 27, 2023 16