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Watch The Murder of Crows perform live at the Kennedy Center

by Jay Gabler

July 26, 2016

It was just Friday morning that we were enjoying a cozy performance from The Murder of Crows — Gaelynn Lea and Alan Sparhawk — live at Lake Avenue Restaurant and Bar. Now, they're in Washington, D.C., where tonight the duo will perform at the Kennedy Center in honor of the 26th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

The performance will be live-streamed on YouTube at 5:00 CDT; you'll be able to watch in the player below. Update: The performance is now archived — click play to watch the video, even though it may look like it's inactive.

It's been a remarkable year for Lea. Though the singer-songwriter has been well-known for years as a performer and teacher in the Duluth area, she didn't have the national profile of her Murder of Crows bandmate Alan Sparhawk (Low, Retribution Gospel Choir). That changed when Lea won NPR's Tiny Desk Contest, earning her a slew of media attention and a performance at the original Tiny Desk — with a special guest appearance by Sparhawk.

"We are so honored and humbled to participate in the celebration," wrote Lea, who has brittle bone disease, in an e-mail to fans. "The Americans with Disabilities Act is a monumentally important piece of legislation that helps to protect and promote the rights of people with disabilities in this nation. It was passed in large part because of the hard work and dedication of many amazing disability rights advocates. I am a grateful beneficiary of their labor of love."

Clean Water Land & Legacy Amendment
This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.