Mary Chapin Carpenter & Shawn Colvin at the Center for the Arts

Folk artists Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin take the stage together!

Mary Chapin Carpenter began her career as a folk-influenced performer in the Washington, D.C. area, but found favor on country radio in the ’80s and ’90s, taking her emotionally intelligent songs to a mass audience. Beginning with 1987’s Hometown Girl, she wrote and sang in the contemporary singer/songwriter vein, but moved into more country-leaning material with 1990’s Shooting Straight in the Dark, which included the hit single “Down at the Twist and Shout.

Shawn Colvin stands out as a singular and enduring talent. Her songs are slow-release works of craft and catharsis that become treasured, lifetime companions for their listeners. As a storyteller, Colvin is both keen and warm-hearted, leavening even the toughest tales with tenderness, empathy, and a searing sense of humor