First Fridays LIVE at [the square]: The Finestkind with Kenya Hall

You're invited to make [the square] one of your regular stops on Portland's monthly art walk: join for our new recurring showcase of local artists backed by the expert musicians of The Finestkind. Don't miss this next one featuring Kenya Hall!

First Fridays LIVE at :

with

Benefit for

Sponsored by Bissell Brothers

34 Preble St. / April 3rd

First show @ 5:30pm

Second show @ 7:30pm

$15 adv. / $20 doors

ALL AGES WELCOME

Based out of Portland, Maine, Kenya Hall has shared stages with incredible local and national acts such as The Roots, Dr. John, Lettuce, Jaw Gems, Rustic Overtones, Adam Deitch, Jon Fishman, Nigel Hall, Shemekia Copeland, and Fred Wesley. As one-of-a-kind as it gets, Kenya’s musical artistry weaves together indomitable vocals with a fierce blend of soul and funk delivered with a rare energy that leaves every audience she sings to better for having been a part of it. Drawing her writing and performing influences from Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, and Sharon Jones, Kenya is not only relevant in what she says, but poignant in how she communicates it. Leaning heavily on Soul, Hip Hop, Funk, and the seed of what makes a rock and roll artist — Kenya is here to deeply inspire and elevate the world around her.

The Finestkind’s soulful sounds resonate out of Maine’s rocky coast, from gritty Low-Tide Funk to inspirational Evergreen Roots. Comprised of seasoned players from bands like The Red Eye Flight Crew, The Fogcutters, Royal Hammer and more, their mission is to shine a light on the incredible talent from Maine.

With their review shows, they have backed up artists like Kenya Hall, Spencer Albee, Dominic Lavoie, Graphic Melee and more, showcasing each artists original music. For the artists, It’s like driving a Ferrari. For the audience, it’s an invitation to experience the breadth of talent coming out of Maine. And though they may not know the individual artists, they will always know that when The Finestkind comes to town, they’ll be in for a show.

The band released RESURGAM in 2025. A collection of grooves and moods composed by drummer and band leader Dan Boyden. They have also been releasing songs from their collaboration with local troubadour, Connor Garvey. The latest single, So Simple, brings in Dominic Lavoie on backing vocals for a Beatle-esque tune about showing up for those you love when times get hard.

10% of ticket sales will be donated to our affiliated nonprofit Equal Measure Arts to support studio access for students and under-resourced musicians.

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