Kirsten Maxwell, a multifaceted singer-songwriter who has been earning accolades and winning over audiences across the country, returns to her hometown on Wednesday, Oct. 15 to perform for the monthly Hard Luck Café concert series co-presented by the Folk Music Society of Huntington and the Cinema Arts Centre in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington). An open mic at 7 p.m. -- for which signup begins at 6:30 p.m. -- precedes the 8 p.m. concert that extends until 10 p.m. Tickets are $25 ($20 for Cinema Arts Centre/FMSH members) and can be purchased online at cinemaartscentre.org or at the box office now through the evening of the event.
“Kirsten Maxwell is an amazing writer and powerful, evocative singer whose performances are a sheer joy. She shines in her own lyrical compositions and in her singular choices of other artists, especially those of Joni Mitchell.” That’s how Judy Collins describes Kirsten Maxwell, whom she has invited to open for her in concert a number of times.
Kirsten Maxwell has drawn comparisons to such timeless singers as Collins, Mitchell and Joan Baez, while her vocal range and ability allow her to move seamlessly between genres – broadening the scope of her performances.
She’s been a finalist in the prestigious Kerrville new Folk Competition and an audience-voted “Most Wanted” artist following a Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. Kirsten Maxwell took first place in a contest sponsored by the Rhode Island Songwriters Association (RUISA) in 2015 and was a winner in the 2016 South Florida Folk Festival Singer-Songwriter Competition. She has had coveted official juried showcases at several conferences hosted by regional affiliates of Folk Alliance International and showcased her talents during Singer-Songwriter Cape May and as part of NERFA Presents Young Folk at the Mariposa and Philadelphia Folk Festivals. In 2020, she was one of five artists selected to receive a grant from the Joe’s Pub Working Group – an artist development program of The Public Theater in NYC. Kirsten Maxwell also has spent some time in Nashville, where she has performed at the iconic Bluebird Café, whose founder, Amy Kurland says: “She is a very special artist. Her voice, her songwriting, and her delivery make her stand out to me. Paul Shaffer has expressed similar sentiments: “I once saw Kirsten Maxwell take the stage in a raucous bar. The patrons wee there to drink, not listen. She began a delicate ballad, and by the third line, she had them in the palm of her hand. Kirsten is a strikingly special performer.”
Kirsten Maxwell’s evocative renderings, coupled with her naturally passionate voice, often bring audiences to tears. Chris McKhool of Sultans of String, an acclaimed Canadian instrumental ensemble, says: “If I could sing like her, I’d give up the violin.”
About the Concert Hosts:
Established in 1973, the Cinema Arts Centre (cinemaartscentre.org) seeks to bring the best of cinematic artistry to Long Island and use the power of film to expand the awareness and consciousness of our community. Long Island’s premiere independent arthouse theater presents a wide array of films that are often accompanied by discussions and guest speakers.
Founded in the late 1960s, the Folk Music Society of Huntington (fmsh.org) is a volunteer-led, nonprofit organization. It co-presents the monthly Hard Luck Café concert series and the thrice-monthly NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) with the Cinema Arts Centre in its Sky Room, as well as a monthly Folk Jam & Sing-Along at the South Huntington Public Library.
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