NORTH READING — Local music enthusiasts can enjoy back-to-back live musical entertainment at the Flint Memorial Library on Friday and Saturday night, May 16 and 17.
Both events are presented by the North Reading Community Coffeehouse (NRCC) and will take place in the Community Activity Room of the Flint Memorial Library, 147 Park St.
On Friday night, May 16, the NRCC Performing Artist Series is proud to welcome singer/songwriter Kray Van Kirk at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.)
“This is Kray’s first appearance and we are really looking forward to having him,” said NRCC founder Art Grossman.
A fine finger-style guitarist with a precise baritone, Kray Van Kirk has a Ph.D. from the University of Alaska, but he set science aside to write songs, tell stories and summon heroes.
“We are driven by myth and the seasons of the heart,” Van Kirk says, “and the stories are all true. There is a dark cave inside each of us, and monsters of all kinds lurk there, all the more lethal for being hidden. The quest is to journey inside, render the monsters powerless, find whatever it is that burns at the core of your soul and bring it back into the light. In a world divided it is critical to write songs and tell stories that show absolutely everyone they get to be the hero. Nobody is left behind.”
When he reached Scotland and the Fringe Festival, the Daily Fringe Review wrote The evening’s act was Kray Van Kirk, whose 12-string guitar and soaring vocals were spellbinding; the Alaskan singer-songwriter, in his Edinburgh debut, was not the reason I arrived early, but was certainly why I stayed late.”
Of this charming, Quixotic and eclectic performer, the Borderline Folk Club in New York wrote that Van Kirk was “what every singer-songwriter should aspire to.”
There is a suggested donation of $15 and seats can be reserved by emailing Nrcoffeehouse@gmail.com or pay at the door. Proceeds from refreshment sales benefit the Friends of the Flint Memorial Library.
MAY NRCC SHOWCASE
The NRCC May 2025 Showcase takes place on Saturday, May 17 at 6:30 p.m. The performers are Neil Dale, “Diz” Dizacomo, Tim Foley and Kirsten Manville. “We have a group of very talented musicians this month with a nice variety of music which will make for a very entertaining show. Each performer will do about a 30-minute set,” said Grossman.
The event is free but donations will be gratefully accepted and refreshments will be offered too, with all the proceeds going to the Friends of the Flint Memorial Library. The coffeehouse will also be livestreamed on the North Reading Community Coffeehouse Facebook page and on the YouTube channel the following day! The links to the Facebook page and YouTube channel are:
https://www.facebook.com/nrcoffeehouse and https://www.youtube.com/@NRCoffeehouse