xBk presents
Kelly Hunt & Kelley Smith - Joint Album Release Show!
w/ Nicole Upchurch
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22ND
Doors: 5pm | Show: 6pm
All Ages
Mostly seated + limited standing room -- Limited seating available on a first come, first served basis. If you require ADA accommodations please reach out to info@xbklive.com*
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•• KELLY HUNT ••
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. Hunt’s 2019 debut, Even The Sparrow (a finalist for the International Folk Music Awards “Album of the Year”) is succeeded by Ozark Symphony (2023) and her newest release, Requiem for a Sleepless Night (2026), both of which were produced by Dirk Powell and released on Compass Records.
•• KELLEY SMITH ••
Minnesota songwriter Kelley Smith is a wallflower who fancies old poetry and grandpa sweaters. All at once whimsical and haunting, Smith delivers deeply affecting lyrics with wry charm and a time traveler's voice. Prone to melancholy and daydreaming, Kelley spent her childhood roaming the woods of the north country. To this day, her longing for that landscape runs deep and seems to find its way into her songs in one way or another.
Raised by musicians, Smith always had music in her bones, but it wasn't until she was 40 and a mother of four that her first record, Moon Child (2022), came to be. Since then, she has collaborated with artists such as Charlie Parr, Kelly Hunt, Wild Horses, Sarah Morris, Dave Simonett, and more. Though still a homebody and in the thick of family life, she occasionally tootles around the Midwest to perform in listening rooms, living rooms, haunted hotels, and at community-oriented festivals. Every once in a while she tucks into dive bars with her banjo to play folk songs.
With her much-anticipated sophomore release, “Flowers,” Kelley Smith leans into her exploration of songwriting as a means of disentangling herself. Smith is as gifted an instrumentalist as she is a singer, and her lyrics stand alone as poetry. With “Flowers,” Smith is the vessel of both the stories of her elders and those of her children, singing of universal sorrows and love that "puts on skin and bones." She wraps sparse instrumentation around her expressive guitar work - by way of counter-melodies, a lonely living room piano, and a few special guest players. “Flowers” is out on Nov. 6, 2026 on Liatris Records.
“These organic and unvarnished songs reflect life experiences that could as easily come from past lives as they could from Kelley’s soul.” - Rieder Homestead Concerts.
•• NICOLE UPCHURCH ••
Nicole Upchurch is deeply rooted in the Iowa music scene with a long and celebrated career making music with Awful Purdies and The Feralings. She is a dedicated forest school educator as well as the children’s programming instructor for Family Folk Machine. Nicole’s involvement in these projects presents meaningful ties to her community through activism, educational outreach and live performance.
Over the span of her musical career she has toured Europe and the U.S. playing music halls, festivals, protests and backyard bonfires sharing stages with a variety of artists like Del McCoury, Andy Statman, Pert Near Sandstone, Iris Dement, Taylor Mac and William Elliot Whitmore. She has released six albums and is an award recipient of the Iowa Arts Council and National Endowment for the Arts. Her song “Something in the Water” - recorded by Awful Purdies - brings awareness about water quality and climate issues in Iowa and was awarded “Best Song By a Local Artist” in 2021. Last fall, Nicole participated in the Iowa City Songwriter’s Festival as a panelist and scholar and will return to the festival this fall as a performer and panelist. 2026/2027 brings new recorded music with the release of 20 songs to celebrate 20 years of Awful Purdies as well as The Feralings first full length album.
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ADD ON OPTIONS
(does not include tickets for the show)
A limited amount of reserved tables are offered for this event if you'd like to ensure that you have seats. Reserved tables can comfortably accommodate up to a party of four individuals. Please note that the Reserved Table Add-On does not include a general admission ticket; each person must have their own general admission ticket for entry. For example, a party of three people would want to purchase THREE general admission tickets and ONE table. For all remaining tables, seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Option #1: Premium Floor Table : $50 (+ Fees)
Option #2: Premium Balcony Table: $50 (+ Fees)
