REACTION: The Folksmen - Start Me Up - Conan O'Brien (Spinal Tap)

"The Folksmen" is a fictional folk music parody group created by the creators of the popular mockumentary film "This Is Spinal Tap." The core members of The Folksmen are portrayed by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, who are best known for their work on Spinal Tap.

Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer first appeared as the Folksmen on the November 3, 1984, episode of Saturday Night Live. Guest and Shearer had both joined SNL as cast members that season (though Harry Shearer was previously an SNL cast member for the 1979-1980 season), while McKean was hosting that episode. All three had previously worked together on comedy projects involving musical parody, including the Lenny and the Squigtones LP and a television pilot, The TV Show, which marked the first appearance of Spinal Tap. The SNL sketch, entitled "The Folksmen Reunion", had a similar satirical intent, targeting the renewed interest in American folk music following then-recent reunions of such artists as Peter, Paul & Mary (1978), The Weavers (1980), and The Kingston Trio (1981). Introduced by Pamela Stephenson, the SNL sketch depicted the Folksmen as caricatures of semi-retired folk musicians: three conservatively dressed middle-aged men, spouting homilies and performing simplistic songs with cloying lyrics. In a 2009 interview, Shearer stated that the songs were intended to satirize "the fake folk music being written in office buildings in Manhattan’s Upper West Side."

The Folksmen also appeared in a mockumentary titled "A Mighty Wind" in 2003, which focused on the reunion of various folk music acts, including The Folksmen, for a tribute concert. The film was directed by Christopher Guest and featured performances of humorous folk songs by The Folksmen and other fictional folk groups.

While The Folksmen may not be as well-known as Spinal Tap, their parody of the folk music genre has been appreciated by fans of both comedy and music.