Doors: 6 pm // Show: 7 pm

Suggested donation ($10 at door, $12 online to cover bank fees)

Join us for an intimate evening as singer–songwriter and banjo player Kelly Hunt shares songs from her forthcoming album, Requiem for a Sleepless Night. This collection, recorded at Dirk Powell’s Cypress House studio on Bayou Teche, explores the space between waking and dreaming while delving into love, fear and the search for meaning. For this special preview at The Whirlybird, Hunt will be joined by producer and multi‑instrumentalist Dirk Powell on fiddle, mandolin, electric guitar and accordion, and by Amelia Powell on harmony vocals and guitar. In addition to new material, the trio will offer a set of personal and traditional favourites. This promises to be an unforgettable night of collaborative music-making rooted in folk and Cajun traditions.

• Kelly Hunt – Originally from Memphis, TN, singer‑songwriter and banjo player Kelly Hunt draws deeply from American folk traditions while writing songs that feel both intimate and timeless. Her debut album Even the Sparrow earned praise from Rolling Stone for its haunting storytelling. She plays a vintage calfskin tenor banjo and blends old-time picking styles with modern lyrical themes.
• Dirk Powell – A multi‑instrumentalist, producer and composer, Dirk Powell learned banjo and fiddle from his Kentucky grandfather and has long been part of Louisiana’s Cajun/Creole music community. He has toured and recorded with artists such as Joan Baez, Rhiannon Giddens and Eric Clapton, and his original song “Waterbound” has been recorded over 100 times. Powell owns the Cypress House studio on Bayou Teche, where he produced Hunt’s upcoming album. At The Whirlybird he will play fiddle, mandolin, electric guitar and accordion.
• Amelia Powell – Amelia Powell grew up in the bayous of Louisiana, immersed in Cajun music through her parents, Dirk Powell and Christine Balfa, and her grandfather, Cajun fiddle hero Dewey Balfa. A singer and guitarist, she is known for her driving guitar rhythms and soulful lead and harmony vocals. Powell has performed locally and internationally since she was twelve and has contributed vocals to projects such as Rhiannon Giddens’ Freedom Highway. Her harmony singing adds warmth and depth to this trio’s sound.

Need directions? Email Jim at thewhirlybird@gmail.com.