KPRI HOLIDAY SOIREE at Balboa Theatre

MAT KEARNEY didn't set out to write just another collection of songs for Young Love - instead, he penned a pastiche of honest, heartfelt, and hypnotic stories that'll make you move your feet and put a smile on your face. He gives a piece of himself on every tune, while building timeless tales for listeners to follow as they dance and sing along. He's crafted stories that will be handed down for generations to come.

ALLEN STONE's been called a "pitch-perfect powerhouse" (by USA Today) and his socially conscious music likened to that of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Bill Withers (by the NY Times)... But he just sees himself as a hippie with soul. One look at his long, curly blonde hair and thick-rimmed glasses brings home the first part of that equation - and perhaps leaves one unprepared for the raw, soulful power unleashed when Stone opens his mouth to sing.

ZZ WARD was born in Pennsylvania and raised in Oregon, in a small town called Roseburg. She grew up listening to her dad write and sing the blues and started performing with him in his blues band when she was a kid. She fell in love with sincerity of Etta, the soul of Muddy and the power of Big Mama. When she got older she started writing hooks for and performing with local rappers from Eugene. She fell in love with hip-hop, with its authenticity. Now she's married to 'em both!