Brian Kalinec

About Brian Kalinec: Texan Brian Kalinec has been called "a combination of Woody Guthrie, John Steinbeck, James Taylor, and Rodney Crowell in the stories he tells" in a review in music magazine Rootsy. Marilyn Rea Beyer, host of Midnight Special & Folkstage, WFMT describes Brian’s performance and writing as "Down to earth vocals with some “What was that, again?” lyrics?“ Winning events such as the Songwriter Serenade Competition and the Big Top Chautauqua Song Contest, placing second in the Woody Guthrie Song Contest and being chosen as a two-time finalist in the UK Songwriting Contest, has brought Brian significant recognition as a writer. He was nominated for Songwriter of the Year and Musician of the Year in the Texas Music Awards. He has appeared at the Kerrville Folk Festival, and venues such as Uncle Calvin's in Dallas, The Bugle Boy in La Grange, and as a featured guest on Folkstage on WFMT in Chicago. He has been an Official Showcase Artist at the Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) and is appearing as an Alternate Official Showcase Artist at SWRFA in 2023. Brian released his newest project, “The Beauty of it All”, in 2023, which reached #9 on the September 2023 Euro Americana Chart in its third month and #16 on the June 2023 FAI Folk Chart. A song from this album, “Redwood Fence”, premiered in late January on Americana Highways. He toured in Europe in the past summer, with a festival appearance in the Czech Republic and performed in the UK with Libby Koch and Patterson Barrett, including appearances at the Belladrum Festival near Inverness. He tours yearly as well with Kj Reimensnyder-Wagner in the duo Kalinec & Kj. Brian and his wife Pam own Berkalin Records, a label which is home to a number of well-respected folk and Americana artists. Brian is Past-President of the Southwest Regional Folk Alliance, and he was recently on the boards of directors for Songwriter Serenade and HoustonLive. Brian currently hosts his monthly Brian.at.Berkalin songwriter series, now in it's 15th year.