Lori McKenna

Lori McKenna puts a magnifying glass on un-championed lives. She doesn’t just notice the quiet and ordinary, she delights in it, effortlessly transforming the average to extraordinary. The result is over a decade’s worth of songs filled with honest stories and melodic depth. Lori didn’t start performing until she was 27. Mary Gauthier brought the songs of this Massachusetts mom to Nashville publishers when she moved back south, and her list of admirers includes Tim McGraw (who took Lori’s “Humble and Kind” to the top of the country charts), Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, and Alison Krauss, to name just a few, Lori is a master at chronicling the small, difficult moments between romantic partners as they navigate their relationships. Her music is wonderful—personal and universal at the same time—and she comes to Michigan with her 11th album, “The Balladeer.” Songwriter Mark Erelli, who serves as Lori’s music director, opens the show with his own finely etched songs.