Chris Morrissey

Chris Morrissey is a songwriter, a bassist, a singer, a music director, a Leo, an uncle, a lover of most dogs and some cats, a New Yorker, a Minnesotan, and a joke teller/appreciator. He has released eight records as a bandleader, most recently Infinite Source Of Heat (2026). He brings his band to Avalon Lounge on the heels of a year of touring Europe and the US.

As a bassist he has toured five continents with Norah Jones, Sara Bareilles, Andrew Bird, Margaret Glaspy, and Chris Thile's "Live From Here" house band. As a music director he has assembled bands and arrangements for Sara Bareilles, Sharon Van Etten, Maren Morris, and Elle King.

"Morrissey seems to be casually clearing the way for one potential path for jazz to progress into the future." — Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader

chris-morrissey.com · @chrisjmorrissey

Sean Kiely

Sean Kiely is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Jersey City, NJ. His music starts in folk and ends up somewhere harder to name: acoustic at its core, but restless enough to pull in Americana, jazz, and whatever else the song asks for. His lyrics are patient and precise, chasing ordinary moments to conclusions that feel both surprising and inevitable. An "alt-folksonger," present for the cosmic joke. He has opened for Richard Thompson and Iron & Wine.

The nine-song album Long Live The Low (Multiple Logo) backs Kiely with Bobby Hawk (Phoebe Bridgers), Bill Campbell (Andrew Bird), Juno Award-winning banjoist Kaia Kater, and Chris Morrissey. The title track is an anthem to the modest, the quiet, and the "real under the biggest lie you ever told." He frequently tours solo, but will be joined by his band at Avalon Lounge.

"Coming across the music of Jersey City-based Sean Kiely is like unearthing a gem." — Alisa Ali, WFUV

seankielymusic.com · @seankielymusic

Niall Connolly

Niall Connolly, who splits his time between New York City and the Catskills, writes lyrical folk in the tradition of Leonard Cohen and Wilco. He opens the show with a solo set.

After garnering acclaim in his native Cork, Connolly moved to Brooklyn in 2006 and began the Big City Folk Collective, giving a generation of songwriters space to hone their craft. His sound juxtaposes sparse, finger-picked moments with the gigantic sonic swells of the band at full flight, while his lyrics retain their reverence for the poetic, the literary, and all that is emotionally honest. He has played festivals such as Glastonbury and Prague Fringe, and shared stages with Lambchop, Evan Dando, Mick Flannery, and his late friend and sometime collaborator Glen Hansard.

"Disarming and beautifully crafted folk-pop. Connolly is a witty storyteller and a not-to-be-missed songsmith." — Chicago Tribune

niallconnolly.com · @mrniallconnolly

Chris Morrissey / Sean Kiely / Niall Connolly

Chris Morrissey / Sean Kiely / Niall Connolly