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Paola, KS | Paola Community Center w/ Dirk Powell

  • Paola Community Center 905 East Wea Street Paola, KS, 66071 United States (map)

tickets ($15)

Dirk Powell & Kelly Hunt will join forces in October 2026 for a joint album release tour celebrating Powell’s new album, ‘Wake,’ (dubbed a ‘masterpiece’ by No Depression) and Hunt’s upcoming album (Sept 2026), ‘Requiem for a Sleepless Night,’ which was produced by Powell at his Cypress House studio near Breaux Bridge, Louisiana and features evocative vocal/instrumental collaborations on 12 of Hunt’s original songs. Together, they will bring their unique blend of soulful originals and time-honored traditionals to ten stages spanning the Midwest and Southwest. 

Dirk Powell is known as a ‘musician’s musician’ in the circle of American roots music and beyond. He learned banjo and fiddle from his Kentucky grandfather and has been a part of the thriving Cajun/Creole music community in Louisiana since his 20s. He has toured and recorded with artists such as Joan Baez, Eric Clapton, Rhiannon Giddens, Loretta Lynn and many more. His albums, combining deep traditional roots with emotional original material, have influenced generations of musicians.

Memphis native, Kelly Hunt, sings with what Rolling Stone Country describes as “the lilting cadence of a folksinger born somewhere far away, sometime long ago.” Deeply rooted in traditions of folk and old-time, Hunt’s music reimagines these forms with contemporary vigor, hovering beyond the constraints of genre and exploring the tension between past and present, old world and new. Self-taught on banjo and guitar, Hunt’s nuanced instrumental style melds finger-picking with pulsing rhythms, creating a dynamic backdrop for her soulful lyrics.