$20 in advance $23 at the door
Matt Nakoa is an award-winning songwriter, singer, and multi-instrument who was born on a small goat farm near Syracuse, NY. As a teen, he traveled throughout the Catskills and Adirondacks performing classical piano. He won a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, where he discovered his songwriting ability and was selected to collaborate with Grammy winner Kathy Mattea during her residency there. In 2014, Nakoa won the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk songwriting competition. After Berklee, he landed in New York City’s vibrant piano bar scene. It was in the Big Apple’s all-night piano bars that Nakoa developed an uncanny ability to command the attention of any audience. He became a star performer at the famous Brandy’s Piano Bar, with lines waiting outside the door each Saturday night.
AirPlayDirect has described Nakoa’s music as a blend of swanky mod-rock with a dark classicism, producing a lyrical and dangerously infectious sound. His energetic vocals evoke Freddie Mercury and Jeff Buckley, and his soulful yet simple lyrics appeal to the generations. A recent album, Casting Shadows, described as a spellbinding blend of pop, soul, and classical influences, tells a story of childhood dreams crashing headlong into a grownup reality.
Folk luminary Tom Rush, with whom Nakoa regularly plays when Rush is touring, calls international artist Nakoa “a black-belt musical wizard,” adding, "I'm hoping he'll let me open for him when he's doing stadiums.” Rich Warren, the host of the Midnight Special, WFMT Chicago, has these kind words for Matt, "All I can say is wow! Phenomenal high tenor voice, outstanding musicianship, and songs that grab the heart.”
“…between his piano chops, charismatic stage presence, and heartfelt originals on guitar, [Nakoa} drops jaws." – Boston Globe
“Matt Nakoa left us breathless…The music was of a symphonic scale and showstopping, cosmic proportion.” --Elmore Magazine