Hard Luck Café: Tom Chapin

Tom Chapin will take the stage at the monthly Hard Luck Café concert co-presented by the Folk Music Society of Huntington and the Cinema Arts Centre (423 Park Avenue, Huntington,  NY) in the Cinema’s Sky Room on Wednesday, May 20, from 7pm-10pm.   A 7pm open mic, for which sign-up begins at 6:30pm, precedes the 8pm concert.  Tickets are $32 ($25 for Cinema Arts Centre/FMSH members) and can be purchased online at https://cinemaartscentre.org or at the Cinema Arts Centre box office now through the evening of the event.

In a career that spans six decades, 29 albums, and three Grammy awards, Chapin has covered an incredible amount of creative ground. In addition to his work as a recording artist, concert performer, storyteller and activist, he’s performed on Broadway and worked extensively in television, radio and film.

The son of noted jazz drummer and teacher Jim Chapin and the grandson of author/critic Kenneth Burke and portrait painter James Chapin, Tom grew up in a family that encouraged artistic pursuits. He began performing professionally as a teenager in the early 1960s, playing in Greenwich Village folk clubs alongside his siblings Harry Chapin and Steve Chapin as The Chapin Brothers, and then began a prolific solo career beginning in the 1970s.

Chapin built a devoted following through songs that blend humor, storytelling, and social awareness. He later became a pioneer in family music, creating sophisticated, message-driven songs that resonate with children and adults alike, earning multiple Grammy nominations and widespread acclaim. Still actively recording, his upcoming album Songs of Hope (2026) continues his tradition of thoughtful, uplifting songwriting, brought to life with a wide circle of collaborators and musicians.