Upcoming Performances
I perform regularly in the Twin Ports area with Breanne Marie and the Front Porch Sinners (an alt-country Americana band) and with singer-songwriter Paul Lawrence. You can catch me sitting in with other bands and solo artists as opportunities arise, and playing classical violin for special concerts and events. Follow me on social media to stay informed about who I'm playing with, where, and when!
Performance Background
From 2006-2010 I played fiddle with the band A Night in the Box. Our sound was a blend of raucous rock n roll, heart-on-your-sleeve blues, and folksy old-time... think The White Stripes + Robert Johnson + the 'O Brother Where Art Thou' soundtrack. You can hear me playing fiddle and singing harmony on our second album, Write A Letter. In addition to performing hundreds of regional shows, we toured nationally, performed on live radio, and earned a place on City Pages' "Best New Bands" list. When the band broke up in 2010, Alex Dalton and I started a new project called The Hooks & the Hollows. We recorded one album together, did some touring, and reunite when we can.
After relocating to Duluth in 2012, I joined the band Black River Revue, an upbeat, mostly acoustic band with a broad mix of influences ranging from classic rock to old-time bluegrass. I recorded two albums (Garbage Pickin' and Spring Thaw) with the group and performed routinely around the region from 2012-2015.
In 2015 I shifted focus and started my Bachelors Degree in Music at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. All of my performances during this time were classical. I sang in the choir, played violin in the orchestra, performed solo pieces, and in 2018 gave my Capstone Recital. I continued playing with the UWS Chamber orchestra for several years after graduating, and also played with the North Shore Philharmonic Orchestra for a few Summers.
Shortly before graduating from UWS, I joined the alt-country/Americana band Breanne Marie and the Front Porch Sinners. I've been performing with the band since 2018 and you can hear me fiddling and singing harmony on the album Juniper.
Over the years I've had the opportunity to perform with lots of other regional bands and songwriters, including Pert Near Sandstone, Feeding Leroy, Jack Klatt, The Hankies, Borderstone, Mike Munson, and Tin Can Gin.
UWS Orchestra Concert 2019 | Kailyn Spencer w/ Breanne Marie at Chester Bowl Concert Series, 2018 | With Black River Revue at the State Fairgrounds in St. Paul, MN | Kailyn Spencer fiddling with Tin Can Gin at Bayfront Park, Duluth, MN |
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First Ave Mainroom, Minneapolis, MN, With A Night in the Box | at Mid West Music Fest in Winona, MN, with Black River Revue | Kailyn Spencer with the Hankies | Duluth Homegrown music festival with Black River Revue at Sir Ben's, Duluth, MN |
Performing at the Cabooze in Minneapolis, MN | On tour with A Night in the Box in Fort Collins, Colorado | Performing at an outdoor wedding with Mike Munson in Minneapolis, MN | With A Night in the Box at Lee's, Minneapolis, MN |
Busking with A Night in the Box at Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA | with Black River Revue | With Black River Revue and many special guests | With Black River Revue and special guest Nate Sipe at Pizza Luce, Duluth, MN |
First Ave Mainroom, Minneapolis, MN, with A Night in the Box | at the Stone Arch Bridge Festival with A Night in the Box | Boats and Bluegrass music festival in Winona, MN, with A Night in the Box | Papa Charlie's, Lutsen, MN, with Black River Revue |