Ben Caplan
2025-07-16 20:00 - 22:00 (America/Halifax) | The Frolic’n Folk Pub & Grill, 4115 HWY 223, Iona, Nova Scotia, B2C 1A3, Canada
A Singular Voice in Contemporary Folk Music
Ben Caplan is a genre-defying troubadour whose deep baritone voice, theatrical stage presence, and poetic songwriting have earned him a devoted international following. Blending folk influences from Eastern Europe with the grit of North American blues and the sensitivity of confessional songwriting, Caplan has carved out a space that is uniquely his own.
His work is grounded in the folk idiom, but he is not a traditionalist. Instead, he treats tradition as a living thing—something to be interrogated, reimagined, and re-enchanted. His live performances are cathartic experiences, marked by intensity, humour, tenderness, and bold vulnerability.
Career Highlights
● Over 2,000 live performances across 27 countries including Canada, the USA, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Spain, Australia, the UK and more.
● Five studio albums, including the forthcoming The Flood (May 30, 2025), and the critically acclaimed Old Stock (2018), a theatrical concept album exploring migration, identity, and resilience.
● Festival appearances at international events include Glastonbury, Cambridge Folk Fest (UK), Haldern Pop (Germany), Byron Bay, Woodford, and Sydney Festival (Australia), SXSW (USA), Into the Great Wide Open (Netherlands).
● Extensive theatrical collaboration, including co-creating and starring in Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, which toured extensively (over 400 performances) in North America, UK, Europe, and Australia. The show won multiple awards and the Off Broadway production earned Caplan seven Drama Desk Award nominations, including Outstanding Actor in a Musical and Outstanding Musical Score.
● Multiple awards and nominations, including a Nova Scotia Music Award and East Coast Music Award wins. Caplan’s work has also been featured on CBC, NPR, BBC Radio, and in The Guardian, Rolling Stone Germany, and Songlines magazine.
Touring & Live Performance
Ben Caplan is known for transforming rooms. Whether performing solo in intimate performance spaces or with a full band in clubs, theatres, and festival stages, he commands attention and connection. His concerts combine storytelling, songcraft, and a magnetic theatricality that leaves audiences moved and changed.
He is currently booking tours in support of The Flood, a new album that deepens his sonic palette, integrating dark, textural electronics with his signature lyrical force and folk roots.
What Makes Caplan Unique
● A theatrical musical presence, bridging the night club, the concert hall and the theatre.
● Deeply engaged storytelling that fuses history, politics, mythology, and the personal.
● A borderless sound, drawing from klezmer, folk, gospel, blues, and Balkan traditions, without ever becoming pastiche.
● Independent artist ethos with international touring infrastructure and a proven record of drawing audiences worldwide.
“Caplan roars like a hurricane and whispers like a ghost… one of the most singular performers of his generation.” — Songlines Magazine
“A giant bearded folk god… capable of coaxing laughter and tears in equal measure.” — The Guardian
“With a powerful, booming voice that vibrates your very soul long after the record draws to a close, Ben Caplan doesn’t just write music – he crafts emotions that leap from the song and on to the listener.”
— Americana Highways
“Caplan’s music is freewheeling stuff — he’s been described as a cross between Tom Waits and Gogol Bordello.”
— NPR’s World Cafe

Open in Spotify
Open in Spotify
Open in Spotify

Céilidh Matinee
2025-07-19 17:00 - 20:00
Get a taste of local celtic music & culture with our Saturday ceilidhs (kay-lee).
Expect to see world-renowned talent & budding entertainers from all over our native Cape Breton.
General admission seating $5 cover
First come first serve at the pub. No reservations. Minors allowed up until 10PM

Cape Breton Celtic Trad Sessions
2025-07-20 16:30 - 19:30
Come and enjoy a casual gathering of musicians who have come together to play traditional Cape Breton celtic music.
Anyone is welcome to join in, or just sit back and enjoy the tunes.
Sundays at The Frolic 430 – 730pm
Full kitchen and bar service.
Minors allowed till 10pm
