Matt Nakoa - Singer/Songwriter
(Joel Perlish Photography)
MATT NAKOA is an internationally touring singer/songwriter, recently appearing at The WhiteHouse, throughout India, and regularly with folk icon Tom Rush. Growing up on a small goat farm in rural NY State, Matt discovered music as a means of teenage escape and trained to be a concert pianist. Matt was ultimately accepted as a vocalist to Berklee College of Music where he studied alongside soon-to-be Grammy winners St. Vincent and Esperanza Spalding among others. After school, Matt landed in NYC’s vibrant piano bar scene. There he quickly became a star performer at Manhattan’s famous Brandy’s Piano Bar, with lines waiting outside the door each Saturday night. As if illustrating two sides of himself, Matt’s first album, Light In The Dark (2012), is a sweeping pop opus, while A Dozen Other Loves (2014) explores an intimate acoustic palette. Across the board his song craft has garnered awards, including a win at Kerrville Folk Festival’s prestigious New Folk Competition. Though not easily pinned down, “In sum,” as a recent review put it, "Matt Nakoa is a musical adept, one of those well kept secrets you just can’t help but celebrate: intimate and genuine, soulful and bittersweet, a rich poetic songbook sung in praise to a complicated, emotionally present world."
Future shows may be viewed at kellycenter.ticketleap.com.
The Kelly Center has a wide array of events that compliments everyone’s interests. We offer things like daytime storytelling for kids, book club discussions, comedy and singing open mics, holiday-themed events, art shows and evening music acts. Artists from around the area share their talents and sounds ranging from jazz & blues to folk and singer/songwriter.
Joel Perlish Photography is the official photographer for the Kelly Center... Every single Kelly Center event may be viewed at joelperlish.smugmug.com in the Kelly folder. There are over 13,000 images there since the very first Kelly event. This is all pro bono coverage since the Kelly Center is such a great and important addition to the Havertown community.
Designed as a facility to further develop the arts in the community, the Kelly Center will offer exciting programming – from Blues to Celtic music, Comedy and Variety shows, Open Mic nights and more, there is something that everyone can enjoy.
In addition to being a venue to see music and other cultural events, the Kelly Center houses the New Avenue Café. The Cafe is a project of New Avenue Foundation, a nonprofit organization begun by two fathers of adult daughters with disabilities, Jim Wurster and Tom Reinke. Their goal is to enrich the community and the lives of our employees, providing them the opportunity to showcase their abilities and value as individuals.
Read MoreMATT NAKOA is an internationally touring singer/songwriter, recently appearing at The WhiteHouse, throughout India, and regularly with folk icon Tom Rush. Growing up on a small goat farm in rural NY State, Matt discovered music as a means of teenage escape and trained to be a concert pianist. Matt was ultimately accepted as a vocalist to Berklee College of Music where he studied alongside soon-to-be Grammy winners St. Vincent and Esperanza Spalding among others. After school, Matt landed in NYC’s vibrant piano bar scene. There he quickly became a star performer at Manhattan’s famous Brandy’s Piano Bar, with lines waiting outside the door each Saturday night. As if illustrating two sides of himself, Matt’s first album, Light In The Dark (2012), is a sweeping pop opus, while A Dozen Other Loves (2014) explores an intimate acoustic palette. Across the board his song craft has garnered awards, including a win at Kerrville Folk Festival’s prestigious New Folk Competition. Though not easily pinned down, “In sum,” as a recent review put it, "Matt Nakoa is a musical adept, one of those well kept secrets you just can’t help but celebrate: intimate and genuine, soulful and bittersweet, a rich poetic songbook sung in praise to a complicated, emotionally present world."
Future shows may be viewed at kellycenter.ticketleap.com.
The Kelly Center has a wide array of events that compliments everyone’s interests. We offer things like daytime storytelling for kids, book club discussions, comedy and singing open mics, holiday-themed events, art shows and evening music acts. Artists from around the area share their talents and sounds ranging from jazz & blues to folk and singer/songwriter.
Joel Perlish Photography is the official photographer for the Kelly Center... Every single Kelly Center event may be viewed at joelperlish.smugmug.com in the Kelly folder. There are over 13,000 images there since the very first Kelly event. This is all pro bono coverage since the Kelly Center is such a great and important addition to the Havertown community.
Designed as a facility to further develop the arts in the community, the Kelly Center will offer exciting programming – from Blues to Celtic music, Comedy and Variety shows, Open Mic nights and more, there is something that everyone can enjoy.
In addition to being a venue to see music and other cultural events, the Kelly Center houses the New Avenue Café. The Cafe is a project of New Avenue Foundation, a nonprofit organization begun by two fathers of adult daughters with disabilities, Jim Wurster and Tom Reinke. Their goal is to enrich the community and the lives of our employees, providing them the opportunity to showcase their abilities and value as individuals.
